


The Angels Have The Bunker

by MightyMidget



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angel Army, Angel Healing, Angel Wings, Angelic Grace, Angels In The Bunker, Angst, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), BAMF Gabriel, Big Brother Gabriel, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Castiel Being a Dick, Castiel Being an Idiot, Castiel in the Bunker, Character Death, Dean Being an Asshole, Dean Being an Idiot, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Fluff, Drugs, Embarrassed Dean, Embarrassment, Fallen Angel Gabriel, Fallen Angels, First Kiss, First Time, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Gabriel Lives, Grace Bonds, Grace Sharing, Graceless Castiel, Happy Ending, Healing, Heaven, Human Castiel, Hurt Castiel, Hurt Sam Winchester, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Minor Character Death, Murder, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pining Castiel, Pining Dean, Post-Season/Series 09, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Protective Gabriel, Sam Is Scarred For Life, Sam Is So Done, Sam Needs Brain Bleach, Sam is Not Amused, Sam is a Little Shit, Second-Hand Embarrassment, Sick Sam Winchester, Stolen Grace, Suicide, Virgin Castiel, angel possession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-05-17 02:41:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 41,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5850958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MightyMidget/pseuds/MightyMidget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Season Eight Finale/Season Nine.</p>
<p>The Angels have fallen to Earth, Castiel is human and Dean is struggling to keep everyone together. While on the way back from rescuing Castiel and Gabriel after their fall from Earth, the family comes across several injured Angels lying along the road. Unable to turn away from their fallen Brothers and Sisters, the Winchesters agree to take in the Angels and together they just might be able to amass an army large enough to take on Metatron. It's going to take the full force of Heaven, Hell and the Winchester family to overthrow the new King, and along the way Castiel might find out just where it is he belongs.</p>
<p>Will finding his Grace change his mind, or is he finally home?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Falling Away From Me

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! I've never done this before, but this is my first ever Fix-It. I hope you guys like it. It's going to be a long road but I will see it through to the end, come hell or high water.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are love, and I just wanna be loved! xxx :P

_ "Whats happening?” _ Sam groaned, clutching at Dean as he fought against the aftershocks from the unfinished spell.   
  
_ “Angels...They’re falling…” _   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Castiel wandered through the forest alone until he came to a small clearing on top of a hill, and there he sat down to watch as his brothers and sisters fell from Heaven. He wrapped his arms around his body and began to sob, but he refused to take his eyes from the falling lights until the last one streaked across the black night and disappeared into the distance. When it was over he allowed himself to slump forward, burying his face into his arms. A thousand different emotions washed over him, making him wail into the silence around him - anger, fear, loneliness...guilt. This was his fault. How many Angels died tonight because of him? How many didn’t? Which fate was worse, death or life? He had so many unanswered questions and no hope of ever knowing the truth, and each new one cut him like a knife through his chest.   
  
He was in pain, his breath seemed to be stuck in his lungs and he couldn’t push it out or draw it back in no matter how he tried.  _ Panic _ , he thought to himself but the word had no meaning to him now, all he could think was that he was going to die right here on this hill, alone and cut off from the only person he had left.   
  
_ Dean _   
  
Castiel collapsed forward onto the ground and managed to roll himself onto his back, but the crushing blackness of the night above him made his chest tighten again. Once, he could have seen galaxies above him that were millions of miles too far for the human eye to see but now it was empty, as though the stars themselves had been thrown from the sky along with the Angels.   
  
Cas whimpered as his vision filled with strange flashing lights, tiny spots before his eyes and he cried when his mind filled with the thought of Angels falling.  _ Flashback. _ The man scrambled to get his hand into his pocket and he fumbled as he searched for his mobile device, praying to an empty Heaven that it had not been left behind in Metatron’s office.   
  
_ “Father please…” _ Castiel gasped, his heart racing in his chest and giving a relieved leap when his hand closed around the small plastic phone which was buried amongst the folds of his trench coat.  _ “Thank you…” _  He sighed, holding it up so he could find Dean’s number.   
  
It seemed to ring forever before the Hunter answered.   
  
_ “CAS! Goddammit, what happened?!” _ Dean yelled into Cas’ ear and the sound of the angry Hunter was more than Cas could bear. He began to sob again and the sound of his stoic friend crying shut Dean up very quickly.   
  
“Dean...I am so sorry. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way...Oh Father help me...I don’t want to die…” Cas whimpered between sobs as his breathing stuttered again, lack of oxygen blurring his vision.   
  
“Cas?! What’s happened, are you hurt? Angel talk to me, tell me where you are…” Dean spoke frantically down the phone but Castiel could barely hear him now.   
  
“I never meant for this to happen. It’s all my fault.” Cas mumbled as he started to drift off, but Dean was screaming at him to stay with him.   
  
“Cas you gotta stay awake, buddy! I’ll come and get you I swear just tell me where and I’ll come for you…” Dean begged but Cas was gone. “Cas? CAS?!”   
  
“Goodbye, Dean...” Castiel sighed and Dean heard his phone slide out of his grip, hitting the ground beside him.  _ “I always loved you…” _   
  
“CASTIEL!”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Dean managed to get Sam into the backseat of the Impala, throwing his jacket over him to keep him warm and tucking him in just like he had done when they were children.   
  
“It’s gonna be okay, Sammy…” Dean muttered, more to reassure himself than to comfort his unconscious brother. “We’re gonna find Cas and I am taking you both home, and everything is gonna be alright now, I promise.” He slammed the door and ran around the car and got behind the wheel, but before he could fire up the engine his phone went off in his pocket. It was a text from Cas...or at least it was from Castiel’s phone.   
  
_ “Longmont Colorado, hurry. He’s hurt bad.” _   
  
Dean read the text over and over again, mentally calculating the time between himself and Castiel. It would take him close to seven hours to drive there, and that was if he drove straight through the night without stopping. Sam moaned fitfully in his sleep, thrashing against the seat as a fresh sweat broke out all over his body and Dean eyed him fearfully through the rear view mirror. He couldn’t risk driving Sam all that way and back, the kid was really sick...He might get worse he could even…   
  
The Hunter slammed his fists against the steering wheel, yelling in frustration at his impossible problem. It all came down to one choice.   
  
His Angel...or his brother?   
  
He sat for some time with his head on the steering wheel, shaking all over as he cried and cursed God. He couldn’t be made to choose between the only two people he had left, and the mysterious text message said Cas was hurt bad, he might even be dying. On the other hand Sammy needed him. He didn’t know what to do. Sam groaned in the back seat once again, coming around for a moment.   
  
“De...Where are we going?” Sam asked, delirious from exhaustion and Dean bit his lip nervously, finally making up his mind as he revved the engine into life.   
  
“We’re going home, Sammy.”   
  
As he drove off, Dean grabbed his cell phone from his lap and typed out a quick message, sending it to Cas’ number. He had to know more.   
  
_ “On my way. Who is this?” _   
  
It took only a few minutes for the phone to buzz again and Dean sighed heavily when he read the new text.   
  
_ “An old friend. Now move your ass! Don’t make me smite you, Deano.” _   
  
  
\----------   
  
_ “Cas! Bro come on, you gotta wake up!” _ Cas heard the voice all around him, but his vision was fuzzy and he was far too weak to claw his way up through the dark towards it. The dark was calm, and he never wanted to leave it. There were monsters outside, monsters that wanted to kill him. It would be better to die now in the dark than face the light and remember what he had done to make the monsters so angry.  _ “Castiel! Wake up! Come on, wake up!” _ Cas was sure he knew that voice, from a very long time ago back when the world made sense.  _ “...Brother, don’t leave me here alone…Get up!” _   
  
Slowly, and with a pained groan, Castiel opened his eyes to the world. A face hovered only inches from his own, with eyes that seemed to glow around the edges, an unnatural gleam which struck a chord of fear through Castiel’s heart and without thinking the man reacted. He balled up his fist and lashed out, striking this creature in the face and using its surprise to scramble backwards and away. Cas was almost on his feet when the creature spoke again, and finally the voice became clear.   
  
“OW! Motherf...What the hell was that for?! Ow!” Gabriel yelled as he stumbled around, holding both hands over his nose to stem the flow of blood which was gushing from between his fingers. “Damn it, you broke my fuckin’ nose, you crazy little bastard!” Castiel was too stunned to say anything, and he lay with his back against a tree while he stared in shock at his older brother.   
  
“Gabriel...You’re alive?” Cas finally managed to say, his voice small and broken.   
  
“Yeah, the throbbing pain in my face would suggest so!” Gabriel snapped, groaning as he tipped his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose. Castiel gasped, realising finally what he had done, and he leapt up to assist his injured brother.   
  
“Oh my...Gabriel I am so sorry, I didn’t mean it!” Castiel blubbered, reaching out press two fingers to Gabriel’s face to heal him of his broken nose...but nothing happened. Gabriel lowered his head and fixed Castiel with a sorrowful stare, his nose forgotten in the one painful moment where everything which had happened over the past few hours came flooding back into Castiel’s mind. The Archangel watched as his little brother’s face paled, fell, and his eyes filled with tears.   
  
“Oh Cas, I’m so sorry…” Gabriel said, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Cas’ shoulder but the Angel sprung to life all of a sudden, as though someone had tied a live wire to his body. He flinched back away from the touch and shook his head back and forth wildly.   
  
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Castiel yelled, shrinking away from his brother. He had wrapped his arms around his chest again and was shaking from head to toe. “Don’t touch me...I’m...I’m poison!” Cas choked out, falling to his knees against the tree. Gabriel watched in horror as Castiel began to choke and heave, his body trying to vomit with nothing in his stomach to reject. The Archangel rushed to his brother’s side and dropped to his knees, draping an arm over his back and speaking to him gently.   
  
“Brother, you have to calm down now or you’re going to really hurt yourself! It’s gonna be okay, Cas, I swear! Just let it out, Cas.” Gabriel hushed him gently as his spasms began to subside, but his crying had only just begun and Gabe pulled him tightly against his side.   
  
“I’m poison, Gabriel, I pollute everything I touch...Please...Please leave me alone before I corrupt you as well!” Castiel sobbed, but despite his pushing Gabriel clung to him tighter than ever.   
  
“It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think? Hello, Trickster…” Gabriel joked lightly, but he sighed when his humor did nothing to cheer up his little brother. “Tough crowd, tough crowd.” The Archangel muttered to himself but he managed to maneuver Cas and himself until they were sitting side by side against the tree, with Cas’ head resting on his shoulder. “You’re not poison, Castiel. Listen to me, seriously, you’re not. You’re good-hearted, and kind...and easily influenced. You’ll do whatever it takes to help people, and people take advantage of that. This isn’t your fault okay, you didn’t know what Metatron was going to do.” Gabriel said and Castiel peered up at him through tear-stained eyes, confusion written all over his face. “Yes, I know all about it. I’m just sorry I didn’t step in sooner. Maybe if I’d…” Gabriel sighed. “Well it’s too late for ‘What Ifs’ now. What’s done is done, and we gotta move on from here together okay?” Castiel nodded, resting his head on Gabriel’s shoulder again. They were silent for a long time but when Cas had calmed down he sat up straight and brought his knees up to his chest.   
  
“What do we now?” Cas asked, fearful of the answer. He wouldn’t blame Gabriel if the Archangel left him sitting here alone in the woods but he really didn’t want to lose his brother again.   
  
“We wait.” Gabriel said, smiling at Castiel’s confusion. “I text Dean Winchester, he is coming to get us. Well…” Gabriel ducked his head to hide the blush on his cheeks. “He is coming to get  _ you _ . I doubt he is gonna be so welcoming to  _ me _ .” The Archangel tried to play it off as a joke but Castiel made a fearful noise and his hand shot out to grip Gabriel’s arm.   
  
“I won’t let him leave you behind! If you hadn’t have found me I…” Castiel felt like he was going to cry again. “I owe you my life, Gabriel. I won’t let him leave you behind.” Cas swore and Gabriel couldn’t help but smile at his honourable little brother.   
  
“Well...let’s take it one step at a time.” Gabriel said, not really believing it as he stood up, smiling up at the sky which Castiel only just noticed was beginning to lighten. “Step One: Breakfast.” The Archangel reached out his hand for Castiel to take, and for the first time since he found him the little Angel smiled. It gave Gabriel hope.   
  
Maybe they would be okay afterall.


	2. The Hard Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Gabriel get into an accident on the road into Longmont, which leaves Castiel in the hospital and Dean rushing to help his injured friend - but what will the Hunter do when he comes face to face with the hard facts of Castiel's humanity?

The walk through the woods finally brought them to a back road which they knew would lead them into town eventually, but actually walking it was driving Gabriel crazy. Losing the ability to fly from place to place had left him quietly resentful and seething but he kept his mouth shut - at least he had a chance to heal which was more than could be said for Castiel. The kid hadn’t said much since they left the clearing in the woods and Gabriel wasn’t pushing him for conversation, no matter how much the silence was weighing on him. He needed time to process and Gabe knew there was nothing he could say right then which would make his little brother feel any better so for once in his life he kept his mouth firmly shut.  
  
Sunlight tinged the sky at first, slowly rising over the horizon and by the time they passed a sign which declared they were only a few miles outside of town, it was fully light and warming up fast. For a mountain region, it was surprisingly warm and Gabriel had to remove his jacket to cool off - an action which was unnatural to him. Castiel’s trenchcoat - bloody and stained with dirt - remained where it had always been, wrapped around his body and cloaking him. Gabriel silently prayed that Cas would not remove his beloved coat, because doing so might make this whole ordeal seem real. The Archangel was still hoping that maybe this was all some kind of dream, a nightmare from which he could wake, but if that coat came off then he might lose his mind altogether. Still it could not be very comfortable for him...the kid was sweating buckets.   
  
Since they had taken to the road they had seen no cars passing by, which confused Gabriel at first but he had merely shrugged it off, but now somewhere behind them he heard the distant rumble of an engine. Gabriel sighed happily and turned to look behind him, wondering if they were lucky enough to run across Dean Winchester and that beast he called a car...but they were not. The Archangel raised a hand to cover his eyes, blocking out the glare of the sun so he could better see the approaching car. It was a truck of some kind and it was approaching fast, so fast that Gabriel doubted very much that it would stop but there was no harm in trying. He turned to walk backwards and stuck out his thumb, but when the truck didn’t slow its pace his heart sank.   
  
_“Looks like we are hiking it all the way…”_ He thought to himself, and he backed off from the side of the road as he turned to face front again, giving the car as much space to pass on by them. Unfortunately, Castiel did not move aside.   
  
The man had either not heard the approaching vehicle or he didn’t think about how narrow the road was but either way he was walking far too close to the road, and the car was moving way too fast too stop. Gabriel reacted on instinct, diving forward and grabbing his brother by the back of the coat.   
  
“CAS GET BACK!” Gabriel yelled as he yanked Cas out of the way of the oncoming car, but as he pulled the man lost his footing. He stumbled, one leg flying out as he tumbled backwards, and with a sickening crunch the car made contact. Cas’ earsplitting scream pierced the air as his ankle was slammed hard by the car, which hit the breaks only moments before but was still travelling too fast to avoid the man in its path. Gabriel dragged Castiel down to the ground as the car lost control and skidded sideways along the road, finally coming to a full stop about ten feet from where they now lay.   
  
Gabriel felt sick.   
  
He stared down at the grizzly sight that used to be Castiel’s left ankle, but was now only a bloody wreck. The meat of his foot stuck oddly out to one side while the white broken bone had pierced the skin to the other, and Castiel was clinging to Gabriel with white knuckled, crying out in pain. Sounds of a car door opening and running footsteps filled the air, but Gabriel was too lost in the sight of his little brothers broken foot to hear it, and it wasn’t until a man’s terrified voice yelled out that he finally snapped his gaze up.   
  
“Holy shit! Oh fuck, shit! I didn’t see you...Oh fuck!” The driver screamed, his hand clasped over his mouth as he stared in horror at the bloody mess he’d caused.   
  
“Don’t just stand there, you idiot! Call an ambulance!” Gabriel snapped, and the man ran back to his truck to grab his cell phone. The Archangel heard him in the distance explaining what had happened but he took no more notice of the driver, his full attention fixed on Castiel. “It’s gonna be okay, little brother. It’s just a broken foot is all, we’re gonna get you fixed right up, I promise.” Gabe spoke softly as he stroked Castiel’s sweat soaked hair out of his eyes and rocked him gently in his arms. The man looked as though he were trying to talk - his mouth opened and closed but no words were making it past his dry lips - and Gabe hushed him. “Shhh don’t try to talk just stay with me okay? They’ll be here soon and you’ll be just fine.”   
  
“It hurts…” Castiel managed to croak and Gabriel winced, fingertips trailing over Castiel’s forehead in an automatic gesture as though the Archangel would love nothing more than to take the pain away...but he couldn’t. He was too weak to help him and that thought more than anything else made him want to find Metatron and rip the douchebags heart straight out of his chest.   
  
“I know, bro, I know but it won’t be for long. The paramedics will be here soon and they’ll give you something for it.” Gabriel explained, grateful that Cas was at least conscious and talking, but the uncontrollable shakes in his limbs told Gabe that shock was not too far off and he only hoped that he could spare his brother that experience.   
  
“I want Dean…” Cas whined, curling up into Gabriel’s chest to muffle his pained sobs. “I want to go home.” Gabriel clutched the shaking man against himself tightly and stroked his back, looking up for only a moment when he heard a distant siren wailing.   
  
“He’s on his way, Cas. He’ll know what to do.”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Dean had made only one stop on his way to collect Castiel and Gabriel, and he had loathed to do it but there was no way Sammy was strong enough to make the trip out to Longmont - The kid needed rest. So Dean grudgingly left his brother behind in the Bunker under the watchful eye of Kevin, who had swore that if anything changed he would call Dean right away and let him know.   
  
The Hunter was only a few hours outside of Longmont when his phone rang, and panic welled up inside of him as thoughts of his brother dying filled his head. After much fumbling with the mobile he managed to flick it open and press it to his ear.   
  
“Who is this?!” Dean barked, too tired and worried to care how he sounded.   
  
“Well hello to you to, Deano!” Gabriel’s voice was like a cheese grater on Dean’s nerves, and the man finally snapped.   
  
“Gabriel! What the hell is going on?! Where’s Cas?!” Dean yelled, promising himself he’d tear the Archangel a new one if there was even one hair out of place on his friend’s head.   
  
“Well that’s a damn nice tone to take with someone who is trying to help you!” Gabriel barked back, stunning Dean into silence for a moment - he’d never heard the Trickster so pissed off before.   
  
“You? Help? Why do I not believe you?” Dean said with a sneer. “If you really wanted to help you would have winged your ass back to the bunker with Cas last night, instead of having me drive all the way out here to pick him up! What’s the matter, break your wings?”   
  
“Yes.” Gabriel said, and Dean went silent again. “That what you wanna hear, Winchester? How about I give you some of the juicy details, huh? I guess it must have escaped your notice, but last night the entire host of heaven fell to Earth, including myself! Half of them are probably dead, the rest dying and the ones that did survive will look like me...my wings are _broken_ , Dean...they are _mangled!_ ” The Hunter was silent while the Archangel ranted, a sickly bile churning in his stomach. “So forgive me if I didn’t _wing my ass_ to you, your Highness, but if you think for one minute that I wouldn’t give what little there is left of my Grace to help him right now…” Gabriel stopped short, drawing in a deep breath as he realised he had said too much but Dean had heard enough.   
  
“What happened to Cas? Gabriel, damn it you gotta tell me! Is it...is he like you? Did he break his wings?” Dean asked, scared of the answer he would get but unable to avoid the question.   
  
“No, he’s worse. He...shit, Dean...he’s Human.” Gabriel stuttered, and Dean felt his stomach plummet. He knew Castiel had been almost Human before, several times over, so it made it hard to believe that this time there was no chance at all. Questions rolled over in his head - Could they fix him? Make him better? Was he stuck this way forever? Dean had a million of them, and no answers. Gabriel was still talking to him but the words made no sense, they blurred together and became an unintelligible jumble as Dean tried to process the last few hours.   
  
The Angels had fallen, Heaven was closed for business, Sam was probably dying...and now Castiel was a Human.   
  
As the world around him slowly came back into focus, Dean heard a lot of noise on Gabriel’s end of the line and he felt like his heart would stop beating.   
  
_“Code Blue! We gotta get through here!”_   
  
“Gabriel...Where the hell are you?” Dean said softly, not trusting his voice not to break if he raised it again.   
  
“...We’re in the hospital. Cas is fine!” Gabe added quickly, sensing that Dean was about to starting panicking again. “We had an accident on the way into town.”   
  
“What happened?!” Dean barked, unconsciously putting his foot down on the accelerator and picking up speed, desperate to put as much road behind him as possible.   
  
“Some idiot driver...wasn’t paying attention to the road and well he kinda...Cas was walking to close to the side and the guy kinda hit him. I got a hold of him and yanked him out of the way but he tripped and his leg sorta flew out...car slammed into his leg and he broke his ankle. I’m sorry, Dean.” Gabriel babbled on but Dean had pulled the phone from his ear already, not wanting Gabe to hear him when he was so close to tears. Any hope he’d had that Cas might still have a little of his Angelic self left in him was shattered, and he knew now just how bad it really had gotten.   
  
When he had finally calmed himself down enough to speak he put the phone back to his ear.   
  
“I’m almost outside of town, text me the hospital details for when I get there. I’m taking you guys home.” Dean said, breathing deep to keep himself even.   
  
“...Both of us?” Gabriel asked, and it was strange to hear the Archangel sounding so worried. Dean almost felt like making a joke but the urge died quickly when he heard another blast of ER back static from Gabe’s end.   
  
“Well yeah, both of you, what you got somewhere better to be?” Dean asked, hoping to spare Gabriel any touchy-feely crap that would make them both uncomfortable.   
  
“No. There is no way in Hell I am leaving Cas alone with you...next time I see him he’ll be wearing plaid and shouting about how ‘Zeppelin rules!’.” Gabe said, forcing a smile to Dean’s lips. You could always trust the Archangel to use humor as a defense, and Dean didn’t wanna think about how alike they really were - that was just too freaky even for him.   
  
“You’re damn right, Zeppelin rules...And what’s wrong with plaid?” Dean joked and he could practically feel Gabriel’s eye-roll, but their banter was cut short when a female voice interrupted them, talking to Gabe on the other end.   
  
“Shit...I gotta go, Deano, they are bringing Cas through. I’ll keep you posted, kay?” Gabe explained and Dean was dying to know if Cas would be okay but he knew better than to ask. He’d see them both in a few hours.   
  
“Alright, remember and text me the details. I’ll be there soon as I can…and Gabe? Watch out for him?” Dean asked, feeling dangerously close to a chick-flick moment.   
  
“Always.” Gabe said, and once again Dean was smiling.   
  
“Hey don’t you quote Harry Potter at me!” Dean yelled playfully but Gabe just laughed and hung up the phone, leaving Dean in an uncomfortable silence with only the roar of the engine for company.   
  
He passed a roadsign would said he was approaching the town not too long after he hung up the phone, and he breathed a sigh of relief, sending a prayer to Cas more out of habit than hope.   
  
He was coming.


	3. Fix You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel has an 'episode' in the Hospital which poor Gabriel is left cleaning up, and Dean finally arrives bearing gifts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took so long to start updating again, seems like everyone is getting sick this month and now that they are all better guess whose turn it is...ME! Argh, getting better now though. Thanks for bearing with me. xxx

Castiel hadn’t known just how badly Human beings could hurt until that car had slammed into him on the side of the road, but he was definitely feeling it now. He hadn’t even heard it approaching because he was too lost in his own thoughts to pay any attention to his surroundings, and it was only when he heard Gabriel yelling and felt his brothers tight grip on the back of his coat that everything came rushing back into focus. Vividly.   
  
He found it strange that he couldn’t recall much after the paramedics had shown up, but he did remember Gabriel telling him that they were giving him a shot to numb the pain before they moved him. There were hazy memories of him being put into an ambulance, then arriving at the Hospital, but mostly it was just a blur interspaced with moments of pain whenever someone put their hand on his broken ankle.   
  
The Ex-Angel was so out of it that he didn’t even realise that his brother was gone and he was alone with these strangers until they had taken him to a private room off the main corridor and closed the door behind them. Castiel felt himself start to panic as more and more unfamiliar faces past by him, and when the ‘Doctor’ produced a long needle filled with a strange clear liquid from the table behind him, Cas freaked.   
  
Later on, once things were calm again, the newly human man would wonder just from where he had found the strength to attack the Doctor - since he was drugged and badly injured at the time - but at the time the only thought going through his head was that he needed to protect himself. Without his Angelic instincts how could he know if these creatures around him were Human, Demon, or vengeful Angels come to finish him off? Whatever the cause of his sudden strength, he felt it surge up inside him and suddenly he was on his feet - snatching a small blade from the same table where the Doctor had picked up the needle and holding it out in front of him as he backed towards the doorway.   
  
“You stay back! Stay away from me! What are you?!” Castiel screamed as the others in the room panicked and scurried backwards away from him. The Doctor pushed several of the others behind him and put his hands up in front of him - a gesture of surrender if Castiel ever saw one but  it did nothing to calm him down.   
  
“Sir please put that down! We are trying to help you!” The Doctor said, his voice quivering as he tried to remain calm.   
  
“Bullshit!” Castiel muttered, his voice a pain snarl. “What are you? Where is my brother?!” The Doctor turned to one of the women behind him who seemed to read his mind before looking back up at Castiel.   
  
“The smaller man you came in with?” She asked and Castiel nodded, beginning to shudder as the pain started to rush back to him. He backed against the wall and leant against it, struggling to stay on his feet but his ankle was screaming at him under the weight of his body. “He is right down the hallway if you let me go I can get him for you?”   
  
Castiel felt his vision start to blur and he swayed from side to side, only just managing to nod his consent before slumping forward. He felt hands grabbing at him forcefully and his last coherent thought was that he was going to die now, these creatures were going to kill him.   
  
_ “Go get the brother! Nurse help me put him on the bed!” _ A stern voice spoke from somewhere beyond the darkness.   
  
_ “Bed?” _ Castiel managed to utter, not realising he had spoken at all.   
  
_ “Just be still, Sir, we are going to help you…” _   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Once Castiel opened his eyes again he was groggy, and the sunlight streaming into the room hurt his head making him groan softly. He tried to reach up to place his hand over his eyes but there was a clink of metal on metal and he found that something was tugging on his wrist. When he looked down his heart leapt and his throat clenched tightly with rising panic.   
  
He was handcuffed to the bed!   
  
Cas had barely begun to struggling when he felt a hand pushing him down on his chest and he looked up to find Gabriel smiling down at him.   
  
“Hey whoa, easy there bro...You’re safe.” Gabriel said in a soothing voice and Castiel was still too fuzzy to answer him, so he jerked his head in the direction of the cuffs. “Well that’s what happens you try to attack the Doctors with a scalpel dude!” The Archangel said, suddenly sounding far more stern than he had a moment ago. “What the hell were you thinking?” Castiel slumped back on the bed and turned his face away, trying to hide the tears which were gathering in his eyes. He felt so stupid. The past twenty-four hours had been a complete nightmare and no matter how hard he tried to bed strong he always seemed to find himself right back here - useless and crying like a child.   
  
Everything was silent and Gabe sighed heavily, pulling a chair up beside the bed and reaching out to place his hand over Castiel’s.   
  
“I know it’s been rough…” Gabriel said, making Castiel wonder if his brother was capable of reading his mind or if he was just too easy to read. “But see here, young man, you can’t go pulling a knife out on someone just cause you don’t know them...how will you ever make friends behaving like that?” Cas turned to glare at his joking brother, but Gabriel’s smile never wavered and finally Castiel was forced to look away.   
  
“ ‘m not a child…” The ex-Angel muttered with a pout, and Gabriel chuckled.   
  
“No you’re not. You’re a fully grown man...A fully grown able-to-be-prosecuted-for-assault man.” Castiel looked up at him in horror but Gabriel held up his hand for silence. “Which is why you are damned lucky the Doctor in charge of you is an ex-army man, so when I told him you were also an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD he bought it. He’s not pressing charges.” Gabriel grin faded a little when Castiel tried to raise his hand again and got caught up with the handcuffs.   
  
“If I am not being charged with anything then why am I cuffed to the bed?” Castiel asked, his voice hoarse and painful.   
  
“That was security’s idea, and the Doctor agreed. He didn’t want to risk you waking up and having another ‘episode’...You could have hurt someone, or yourself.” Gabriel said, wincing when Castiel shifted in bed and cried out in pain. The Archangel placed his hand on Cas’ chest again and eased him back down. “You gotta stay put now, kiddo, you did some serious damage to that foot when you decided to go all ‘Bill The Butcher’ on the Doctor.” Gabe said, and when Castiel had finally settled back down he continued. “That’s from…”   
  
“I know, I know, Gangs Of New York, but I fail to see how that movie fits into this scenario…” Castiel groaned on the bed, rolling his eyes at his brother’s half-hearted shrug.   
  
“Fucked if I know, but it was a damn good knife fight, and as for nicknames you could do worse…’Cas - The Butcher - Winchester.” Gabriel said and Cas’ eyes snapped up, staring at him sternly.   
  
“Winchester?” He asked, growing all the more suspicious when Gabriel grinned his mischievous grin.   
  
“Oh yeah, didn’t I tell you? The Nurse’s are expecting your Husband any minute now…”   
  
“My Husb...Gabriel, what did you do?!”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Dean almost passed out at the reception desk when he finally arrived - panting and sweaty - and for a moment he hand to brace himself against the desk to catch his breath.   
  
“My...I...car accident…” Dean managed to gasp out, thinking to himself that he really needed to start working out more, but all thoughts of his fitness were blown away when the receptionist nodded and addressed him by name.   
  
“Yes Mr. Winchester, we were expecting you. Your husband is in the last room down the hallway there, but I am afraid you’ll have to wait awhile to see him.” The woman explained and Dean was rendered speechless. ‘Ronda’ - Dean caught the name on the badge pinned to her shirt - smiled up at him curiously. “You are Dean Winchester, Castiel’s husband? You’re brother-in-law...ehhh…” She checked some paperwork in front of her… “Gabriel, told us we should expect you.”   
  
Dean didn’t know what to say, but thankfully some quick thinking courtesy of his Hunter-Brain told him to shut up and nod, so he did just that. She checked him over once then shrugged - obviously putting down his odd behaviour to the fact that his ‘husband’ had just been in a serious accident.   
  
“If you walk straight down the corridor, you’ll come to a small waiting area. When they are ready for you, someone will come and get you…” Dean nodded dumbly and turned to walk away but her hand covering his startled him, and he looked back over his shoulder at her kind face. “He’ll be just fine, Mr. Winchester, he is in good hands...And his brother seems like a good, responsible man, I am sure he is taking good care of him.” The Hunter had to bite the inside of his lip to keep his face straight but something must have slipped, and she gave him the oddest look before letting go of his hand. Dean was just thankful he managed to make it away from the desk before he started laughing, otherwise there might have been serious questions about his state of mind.   
  
When he made it to the ‘waiting area’ - which seemed to be just a fancy way of saying ‘eight cares and a coke machine’ - Dean took a seat and looked around. The walls were covered with the usual kinds of posters you saw in hospitals, and a small table in front of him held a small variety of out-dated magazines with not a single busty lady in sight. Down the hallway Dean could see a gift-shop selling the kind of crap that people normally brought sick people, like stuffed bears and bunches of flowers, but it was the ‘Get Well Soon’ cards which caught Dean’s eye.   
  


He got to his feet and walked the short distance between his seat and the shop, and started picking through the cards absentmindedly, his thoughts running away with him. The Hunter seriously doubted any of this would make his friend feel better...it’s not like they made ‘Sorry-You-Got-Kicked-Out-Of-Heaven’ or ‘My-Condolences-On-Your-Lost-Wings’ cards, but Dean felt the need to buy something for him. He really didn’t wanna walk into that room empty handed.   
  
After searching through the gifts for a good fifteen minutes Dean found the perfect thing - it was a small stuffed bumblebee with the words ‘Bee Well’ written on the side, and he also picked out a card and some flowers. The flowers were on sale and he was too lost in his own thoughts to realise what he was doing until it was done.   
  
When he finally made it back to the waiting room he sat twiddling his thumbs for another ten minutes before a timid looking nurse walked up to him.   
  
“Mr. Winchester?” She asked and he gulped, nodding. His hands were suddenly sweating. “We need to get him ready for surgery soon, but you can see him for a little while first…”   
  
“Surgery?! Why, what the hell happened?!” Dean yelled, suddenly up on his feet and glaring at the poor woman.   
  
“I am sorry, Sir, I thought you had been informed...If you go to the room, I’ll tell the Doctor to stop by and fill you in...I’m sorry I don’t have more information.” She babbled before turning and leading Dean off down another long corridor. When they finally stopped in front of the room, Dean wasn’t sure he could push the door open - for once in his life he was truly scared about what he would find on the other side - but after several deep calming breaths he braced himself and slowly opened the door.   
  
“Cas?”   
  
The ex-Angel looked up at him in shock and for a moment the pair locked eyes, before a small smile crept onto Cas’ lips.   
  
“Hello, Dean…”


	4. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean meets Castiel again in his hospital room and Gabriel tries to snag a date with the hot nurse...Good times!

Dean felt like a bit of a fool standing in the doorway to Castiel’s hospital room with a stuffed Bee in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other, but the smile which lit up the ex-angel’s face was enough to put the awkwardness right out of Dean’s mind. The Hunter smiled at his friend and they held their gazes for a while until Gabriel - who was sitting in the chair beside Cas’ bed with his foot up on the bar - cleared his throat obnoxiously loudly and grinned at the red tinge which quickly grew on Dean’s face.   
  
“Well, not that we don’t all appreciate a good bit of eye-sex but can we keep it to the bedroom, guys?” Gabriel joked, grinning as the pair turned to glare at him.   
  
“Gabriel! Dean has come all the way down here to help us and I am sure he does not appreciate your jokes!” Cas snapped, averting his eyes from Gabriel when the Archangel gave him an all too knowing look.   
  
“Yeah, what he said...Dick.” Dean growled lowly, but in his heart he couldn’t help but feel grateful that the annoying little bastard was there in the first place. He didn’t know for certain what kind of shit-storm they had stumbled into this time, but it couldn’t be good if Metatron was involved and they were gonna need all the back-up they could get.   
  
The Hunter finally took a few tentative steps forward...and that was when he noticed the handcuffs.   
  
“Cas, what the hell man? Why are you cuffed to the bed?” Dean yelped, rushing forward and taking a hold of Castiel’s wrist to get a better look at the metal restraints. Unnoticed by either of them, Gabriel grinned from his chair and wished he still had enough mojo left to whip himself up some popcorn.   
  
“Apparently they are ‘for my own protection’” Cas answered bitterly, failing in his attempt to raise his hands in an air quote because of his shackled wrist.   
  
“Now now, Cassie, that’s not  _ entirely _ the truth now is it?” Gabriel said, prodding the man’s leg with his foot which was still propped up on the bed and resting beside his one working lower limb. Dean looked at Gabriel confused and the Archangel spared Castiel a glance before smirking at the Hunter. “Apparently, this little guy mistook the Doctor for a demon and tried to shiv him with a scalpel.” Dean looked back towards Castiel, horrified at the thought of his friend attacking someone, and Cas had the good decency to look sheepish.   
  
“Cas! Damn, man, what was  _ that _ all about?” Dean barked, but he couldn’t seem to stay mad at his friend, the poor guy looked completely mortified.   
  
“...I couldn’t see what he was...I was scared…” Cas muttered under his breath as he tugged nervously at his blankets, and Dean’s heart sank as he watched him. It hadn’t occurred to Dean just how badly losing his Grace would affect Castiel - I mean sure he had  _ known _ , but knowing it and realising it were two very different things. Cas wouldn’t be able to spot a Demon at first glance anymore than Dean or Sam could have done, and that had to frightening for him. No wonder he snapped.   
  
“Charges?” Dean asked, directing his question to Gabe as he carefully placed his hand over Cas’, hoping neither of his companions would notice...or if they did notice they wouldn’t say anything about it.   
  
“None. I told the Doc that Cas here had PTSD and couldn’t control himself sometimes, hence the cuffs.” Gabriel explained, eyes flicking towards where Dean’s hand was over Cas’ but not lingering...much.   
  
“And he bought that?” Dean asked, his eyebrows raised questioningly.   
  
“Ex-Army, said he was sorry he didn’t recognise the signs earlier but he wanted to keep Cas cuffed until he woke up and we were sure he wasn’t gonna have...well...another ‘episode’...” Gabriel said, choosing his wording carefully so he didn’t upset Castiel too much - he didn’t wanna hurt his brother any more than he was already. Dean thought it was really strange to see this side of the Archangel, but when he thought about it he and Sammy were pretty much the same way. Dick’s to each other ninety percent of the time but when they really needed help, they’d move hell and earth to be there for each other.   
  
Dean was about to ask a bit more about Cas’ injury but he was interrupted by the man himself.   
  
“Dean, what is that?” Cas asked, pointing to the stuffed bee which the Hunter was still grasping in his hand. Dean went red as he noticed Gabriel’s grin shift up a few notches.   
  
“Oh eh, this well this is eh...this is for you.” He mumbled, holding out the bee for Cas to take. “And these...I eh, thought you’d like them.” Castiel took the bee and the flowers from his friend with a confused look.   
  
“Is it customary to give sick people small stuffed insects?” Cas asked as he turned the bee over in his hands, a small smiling crossing his lips as he read the words printed on the side.   
  
“Well no, not exactly but well it’s like...I dunno ‘polite’ to give them a gift to you know cheer them up and I thought ‘well Cas likes bees’ and I thought...well I thought it was funny…Sorry…” Dean stuttered out, growing redder in the face as he watched Gabriel watching him making an ass of himself, but it was worth it to see the smile on Cas’ face when he finally looked up from his present.   
  
“Why are you apologising, Dean? I love bees…” Cas turned it over in his hands so the words were facing upwards. “And I love wordplay. Thank you for this.” Dean beamed at him and the pair fell easily into another long staring match which caused Gabriel to snort loudly.   
  
“Okaaay then, how about I leave you two alone for awhile…” Gabe said, slipping his foot off the bed and getting up from his chair.   
  
“You’re leaving?” Cas squeaked, turning his fearful gaze to his brother but Gabe took him by the hand.   
  
“I’m just going to find the Doctor for you, Cas. Sooner he gets here and explains what’s going on the sooner we can get you all fixed up, ‘kay?” Gabriel said soothingly, and with a quick wink which made Cas smile he leant down and placed a kiss on the man’s forehead. “I ain’t leaving you again, bro…”   
  
Dean felt a little uncomfortable watching Gabriel being so caring, but thankfully it was over quickly and the Archangel was making his way towards the door...leaving Dean behind...and alone with Cas.   
  
“I could go get him for you!” Dean suddenly blurted out, the thought of being alone with Cas was a little more than he could handle right now - what would he say to him? Gabriel looked over his shoulder at Dean with a smug grin on his face.   
  
“Oh no no, Deano, no need, I’ll get him...besides, there is a hot little nurse working on the front desk and I’m gonna see if I can coax her into giving me a sponge bath!” Gabriel said with a dirty chuckle, raising his hand to his forehead in a mock salute as he exited the room. Dean saluted back with a partial annoyed huff and shook his head wearily.   
  
“Well, go get ‘em, tiger!” He called after the Archangel, but he went silent again when he turned back and found Cas staring out of the window with a strangely distant look on his face.   
  
Dean had thought long and hard on the journey out here about what he could say to Cas when they finally met up, but now that he was here all the words seemed to have dried up. His throat felt like sandpaper, and his tongue seemed too big for his mouth, so they sat in silence for awhile until even that got annoying.   
  
“When I leave the Hospital...will you allow me to stay with you?” Cas asked in a soft voice which Dean barely heard and yet couldn’t mistake. A look of anger filled his features and Castiel kept his gaze firmly on the window, too scared to look at his friend in the face.   
  
“You even have to ask that?” Dean snapped, unsure why he felt so annoyed all of a sudden but unable to keep it in check. “You think I’d kick you to the curb first chance I got?” Castiel bit his lip nervously and shook his head.   
  
“It seemed polite to ask...I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had…” Cas cut his words short, and Dean could see the man was fighting tears.   
  
“If I had what Cas? Come on, spit it out! If I had…” Dean barked, but the hand he had placed on Cas’ gripped tightly, refusing to let go.   
  
“If you had left me here to die.” Cas finished with a sob which broke Dean’s anger quicker than Sam’s puppy eyes ever could have done. The Hunter sighed and shuffled closer to Cas, yanking the man up as far as his cuffs would allow and wrapping his arms around him...he felt so small like this.   
  
“I’m not leaving you, Cas. I didn’t leave you behind before, and I’ll be damned if I am gonna do it now. We’re in this together, Team Free Will right?” Dean said and he felt Castiel nod against his shirt, which seemed to be growing wet with the man’s shedded tears. “We’re gonna work this all out, okay? We’re gonna get Sammy healed up, we’re gonna find your Grace and then we are gonna find Metatron and rip his Holy Roller ass to shreds. Got it?” Dean pushed Cas back onto the bed gently and smiled down at his friend. “And if there is time in our busy schedule I’m gonna give Gabe a kick in the ass just for fun…OW! Dean yelped when Cas whacked his arm, and he dodged backwards away from the man’s swiping when the ex-angel tried to hit him again. “I see what Gabe means, you’re pretty vicious when you’re angry!” Cas’ scowled but Dean could see the twinkle of humor in his eyes, but that gleam dimmed slightly and the man looked away again, suddenly nervous all over again.   
  
“Can...um...Can Gabriel...What I mean is…” Cas stumbled over his words but Dean just smiled and nodded.   
  
“Yeah, yeah, he can stay to…” Dean said, unable to hold back the grin when Castiel’s face lit up.   
  
“Really? Oh, thank you, Dean! I know you and Gabriel don’t have the best history together but he’s…”   
  
“Family. I know.” Dean finished Castiel’s sentence, leaving a quiet understanding hanging between them which held until the door reopened several minutes later, revealing Gabriel and the Doctor.   
  
It was time.


	5. Dis(Traction)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor gives Castiel a run down of what his surgery will involve and afters Dean has a heart to heart with Gabriel, but an unexpected phone call gives Dean more bad news than he can handle...

The doctor explained the procedure to the group and Dean became more and more nervous the longer he talked. If Castiel’s ankle had been simply broken a cast would have been sufficient for his recovery but the truck which hit him had done some serious damage - not to mention the idiot himself running around on it while trying to shank the staff. It turned out that the ex-Angel would have to go under the knife to repair the damage otherwise he’d be permanently crippled because the bones would not set properly. Dean knew all of this of course, having broken his own bones more times than he could count, but it felt different when it was his friend they were talking about...He was scared but he would be damned if he was letting Castiel see that, the man had enough to worry about without Dean adding to it.   
  
“So basically we will open up the ankle and set the bones in place with a metal plate…” The Doctor explained, walking them through the diagram he had brought with him.   
  
“Hey you hear that, Cas? We’ll have to start calling you Wolverine…” Dean said, nudging the man with his elbow and beaming when he got a smile in return.   
  
“I seriously doubt the Surgeon will be using Adamantine, Dean, but I must admit I prefer that nickname to the one Gabriel choose for me…” Castiel said, eyes flicking briefly to the spot on the bed where Dean’s hand was enclosed around his own...all for show of course, they were meant to be husbands after all. Dean didn’t notice Castiel’s gaze though, as he was far too busy sending a questioning look at the grinning Archangel on the other side of the bed. Gabriel made a motion with his hand telling Dean he would explain later and Castiel flicked his eyes back to meet the Doctors.   
  
“How long will I have to remain here after the surgery is over?” Cas asked, concerned about holding Dean back from his Hunter duties, but a quick squeeze of his hand from Dean reassured him that Dean had his back no matter what happened.   
  
“You’ll need to remain in observation for two days after you get out of the OR, but after that you’ll be free to go home. Of course your family will not be able to stay overnight with you but during the day the ward room is open for visitations...we find an open door policy helps our patients to recover faster.” The Doctor added, smiling at Dean when a look of relief washed over his face. He hadn’t been looking forward to leaving Castiel alone while he was so vulnerable, but thankfully that wasn’t going to be a problem. Thank God for progressive Hospitals.   
  
“What are the chances of something going wrong?” Dean asked, hoping to put to bed the last of his worries, and the Doctor chuckled lightly - Clearly he was more than used to being asked this question.   
  
“Slim to none. It’s a routine procedure, he’ll be in and out within a few hours. After he gets out he’ll be under sedation for a couple of hours to allow him to rest and after that it’s just a matter of making sure he is infection free and steady on his feet.” The Doctor turned to the last page of his diagram. “We’ll be placing the finished foot in a cast so you’ll be laid up in bed for roughly two months after you get home but I can tell you’ll be well looked after in that time...My advice?” He closed the diagram over with a smile. “Milk it for all it’s worth.”   
  
The Doctor left the family alone after that, telling him that they had fifteen minutes before they’d have to leave so the Nurses could prep Cas for the operation, and both Castiel and Gabriel fell into easy conversation with Gabe reassuring Cas that they would be there for him waking up...but Dean heard none of it. Something the Doctor had said had awoken terrible memories in him and he was stuck reliving one of the worst moments of his life.   
  
_“I’m mean, Dean, I’m all but useless. Last year, broke my foot, laid up for two months.”_   
  
Dean felt a rush of bile flood his mouth and suddenly he was on his feet, scrambling over to the wastepaper bin and crumbling to his knees in front of it. He could hear the frightened calls of Castiel and Gabriel somewhere behind him but it was muffled over the sound of his choking and vomiting. A strong hand came down on his shoulder and held him steady while he struggled to keep himself upright, but finally the spasms in his belly tapered off and he could breathe once again. Gabriel tightened his grip on Dean’s shoulder and helped him to his feet, walking him back to his chair with a defeated sigh.   
  
“When did I become the official Vomit Petrol guy?” Gabriel snarked, trying to draw a laugh from the tense group but Castiel was too distracted to notice - if he had, Gabe would have probably ended up with a slap across the face.   
  
“Dean! Are you alright? What happened?” Castiel asked, all but begging Dean for answers but the Hunter couldn’t bear to worry his friend any more than he had to so he made quick work of schooling his features into an embarrassed grin and met Castiel’s worried eyes.   
  
“Payback’s a bitch…” Dean said, chuckling when Castiel gave him a confused look. “Your first lesson as one of the Humans, is to -never- eat sandwiches from a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.” The ex-Angel gave him a strange look but finally his expression cleared and he gave Dean a disapproving look.   
  
“You really should think before you put something in your mouth Dean, who knows where those sandwiches came from!” Castiel whined in disgust, but Gabriel choose that moment to butt in and a firm grip on Dean’s shoulder warned the Hunter to keep quiet.   
  
“Well, Cassie, not that this hasn’t been fun but we gotta head on out and let you get ready…We can’t keep those nurses waiting, not when they are so anxious to meet you bro!” Gabriel joked, and both he and Dean laughed out loud at the sudden look of terror on Cas’ face.   
  
“Ha! Typical Cas...he can fight off Angels, Archangels and Gods without a blink but one mention of hot women and he loses his cool! Did I ever tell you about the brothel?” Dean asked Gabe and the Archangel grinned like a maniac.   
  
“Oh you are so telling me that story...over coffee?” Gabe asked and Dean nodded, getting to his feet.   
  
“Coffee sounds great...you gonna be okay Cas?” Dean asked, turning back to Castiel who was picking absentmindedly at his bed covers. The man looked up on briefly and Dean saw fear in those blue eyes like he’d never seen before.   
  
“I don’t want you to leave…” Cas muttered, his voice strained as he tried hard not to cry. Gabriel patted Dean on the back and mumbled about ‘giving them a minute’ before sneaking out the door behind him. Dean sat beside Cas on the bed again and took his hand gently.   
  
“I don’t wanna leave you here either, big guy, but I can’t stay...They gotta get you ready for your big moment and I would be in their way. But listen when this is all over you and I are gonna take chuckles out there back to the bunker and together we are gonna work this all out okay? Till then I want you to make me a promise…”   
  
“Anything, Dean…” Cas said, gripping Dean’s hand so tight the Hunter was worried it would fall off.   
  
“Get better soon, okay? I can’t stand the thought of you…” _Dying_ Dean’s mind supplied but he didn’t say it out loud, instead he grinned at Cas and changed his tone. “Besides, you can’t leave me alone with Gabriel for too long...he and I will kill each other if we’re unsupervised for too long.” That made Castiel smile and Dean reached out to pull his friend into a tight hug. “You’ll be fine, okay. Just trust the Doctors and in a few hours we’ll see each other again. I’ll bring you coffee if you like?” Dean offered and Castiel nodded, embracing Dean tightly until finally the door to the room opened and a shy Nurse poked her head in, smiling at the sight she found.   
  
“Excuse me, Mr Winchesters? It’s time to prep Castiel for surgery now.” She said and Dean pulled himself from Cas’ grip with a deep sigh.   
  
“I’ll see you soon, Angel.” Dean said, nodding to the nurse as he made his way out. “Take care of him for me?” He asked her and she smiled, a little dewey in the eyes at his concern.   
  
“Don’t worry, Sir, your husband is in good hands.”   
  
Dean chuckled and sent Cas a sly wink before he disappeared around the door, leaving Castiel alone in the room once again.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Dean was ambushed on his way down the corridor by the tiny figure of Gabriel, who wrapped his arm around Dean’s back and quickly walked him away from Cas’ room, heading in the general direction of the hospital cafe.   
  
“Don’t think for a minute you are fooling me with that whole ‘food poisoning’ routine in there...something fucked you up, and I wanna know what…” Gabriel said without looking at Dean, and the serious tone in his voice told Dean there was no room for argument. They didn’t say another word to each other until their coffees were bought and they were both seated at one of the little metal tables in the waiting area. Dean watched with disgust as Gabe added one...two...three...FOUR sugars to his coffee, plus a whole two cartons of the rancid milk they sell in tiny little single serving tubs.   
  
“Dude...How are you still alive?!” Dean winced, watching with horror as Gabriel downed a mouthful of the hot liquid with a grin, laughing outright when Dean gagged and turned his face away. “You’re gross.”   
  
“Trickster, big guy...A sweet tooth comes with the job title.” Gabriel explained, sipping at the drink again and smacking his lips together. “Tasty! Anyway, down to business...you wanna explain to me what the hell happened in there?” Gabe said, flicking his hand in the general direction of the wards. Dean shuffled nervously in his seat and played with the rim of his coffee cup, wondering where the hell to begin with explaining this shit.   
  
“You remember the Apocalypse?” Dean asked, not looking up to catch Gabriel raising his eyebrow at him.   
  
“No, doesn’t ring a bell…” The Archangel said sarcastically, earning a death glare from Dean which would have tamed even the scariest of creatures.   
  
“Ha-bloody-ha! You wanna hear this or not?!” Dean snapped and Gabriel went quiet, allowing Dean to continue. “You ever hear of an Angel named Zachariah? Short, chubby, balding...struts around like he owns the place?” Gabriel scowled knowingly.   
  
“That douchebag...Yeah, I know him. A kiss ass if ever I saw one. He was always sucking it up to the Archangels, trying to worm his way into a promotion.” Gabriel snorted into his drink. “Never did manage to get it... _I_ made sure of that much.” Dean couldn’t help but grin, thinking back on all the shit Zach had put them through and realising only now why he was such a dick. He was bitter.   
  
“Yeah, that’s the one. Well back when your brother’s were trying to get me and Sammy to say yes, this douche was constantly fucking with us. Went so far as to give me stomach cancer and yank out my lungs…” Dean explained, shuddering at the memory. “I tell you man, if Cas hadn’t have showed up I’d be a dead man.” The Hunter found himself lost in thought and it wasn’t until Gabriel cleared his throat loudly that Dean got back to the story. “Anyway eh...this one time he caught me off guard and sorta like...zapped me into the future. I guess he wanted me to see what would happen to the world if I said no and Lucifer won. The place was a wasteland. Bobby was dead. Everyone was dead. Cas was...there was like a survivors camp and I found my future self and Cas living there.” Dean took a deep steadying breath as he recalled the way Cas had looked - dirty, lost... _broken._ “He had fallen. The guy was living like a hippie, sex drugs _orgies_ for christs sake. I was talking to him at one point and he told me he was completely useless...he said to me that last year he’d um...he’d broke his foot and got laid up for two months.” Dean finished with a pleading look at Gabriel and finally the Archangel understood why the man had reacted the way he did - seeing Cas that way would have been hard enough under normal circumstances but with that kind of crap playing on his mind Gabe was surprised he hadn’t passed out. The Archangel made a silent promise to his Father that if he ever got a hold of any Angel who had played with Dean’s mind, he’d make their death slow and painful.   
  
“Alright listen up, big guy, cause I got some news for you...Cas isn’t gonna turn into an orgie loving hippie!” Gabriel started but was quickly interrupted by Dean.   
  
“But how do you know that?! What if this shit is it just starting I mean, we don’t have a clue what the hell Metatron’s plan is, we don’t know what the Angels are doing and christ even Crowley is AWOL! What if all of this is my fault for not saying yes when I had the chance…” Dean ranted, becoming more and more frantic as he talked until Gabriel was forced to grab the kids hand and pull him forward a few inches, silencing him with a look.   
  
“You didn’t do this Dean! This isn’t your fault! Look do you know anything about the powers of Angels?” Gabriel snapped, tutting when Dean shook his head. “Well believe it or not, I do! We can do a lot of shit...we can send you back in time, we can throw you into other universes, hell we could turn you inside out if we felt like it...but one thing we can’t do is send you _forward_ !” The Archangel explained, finally letting go of Dean’s hand and allowing the man to slump back into his chair. “Time doesn’t work like that Dean, what’s done is done and can’t be changed but what is coming down the road? Even we don’t have a clue. We can have a peek every now and then to see what _might_ happen, but it’s so insanely difficult that it’s a power only Archangels can use and as we both know that douchebag wasn’t an Archangel.” Dean seemed to be taking all of this in but his expression was clouded over with guilt and Gabriel couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “I know I don’t have much of a right to say this to you but please...Trust me on this...he was just messing with your head.”   
  
The pair sat in silence for awhile and when it seemed to Gabriel like Dean had calmed down again, a strange little grin crossed his face and he began to chuckle.   
  
“Cas was really into orgies?” Gabriel asked when Dean gave him a questioning look, and finally Dean’s frown broke, slowly growing into a grin until they were both slumped over the table and laughing.   
  
“Oh yeah he was...I hate to say it but your little brother was a chick magnet!” Dean said, wiping the tears from his face that had leaked out from his laughing.   
  
The moment was broken when Dean’s phone rang in his pocket and he gave Gabriel an apologetic look as he pulled it out. His face fell once again when he saw the name on the screen.   
  
_Kevin_   
  
“Kev, what’s happening...How’s Sammy, is he okay?” Dean asked as soon as he answered, worry already welling up inside of him.   
  
“Yeah, he’s fine, not great but fine. He hasn’t woken up yet but the tremors have calmed down at least. Doesn’t seem like he is struggling much anymore but I am getting worried…I don’t think he is waking up.” Kevin said, his voice breaking as though he’d been crying.   
  
“...What do you mean, not waking up?” Dean asked, not wanting to hear the answer that he could feel coming. Somewhere in the background Gabriel was demanding to know what was wrong with Sam… _’of course i haven’t told him yet’_ Dean thought to himself but he ignored the Archangel for the moment. Kevin’s breathing was heavy on the line, and the tension was thick between them.   
  
“Dean...I think Sam’s in a coma.”


	6. Touched By An Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Dean have an arguement and Gabe storms off, leaving Dean behind to think things over...but when the Archangel doesn't come back Dean gets worried and goes looking for him. What will he find when he gets ahold of Gabriel and what will it lead to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter to make up for the silence. I've got a heavy dose of the flu and its murdering me slowly.

Gabriel was enraged and Dean couldn’t understand why the Archangel was so pissed off, but he wasn’t giving much of a chance to ask him between Gabe’s insane ranting.   
  
“So Sammy is laid up in bed, might be dying, has went into a coma and you  _ didn’t think to tell me _ ?!” Gabriel yelled again, and he was really starting to annoy Dean.   
  
“We excuse me, I had a million and one things on my mind at the time and to be honest I didn’t think you’d care!” Dean yelled, regretting his words the moment they were out of his mouth but hardening his face against the emotion. Gabriel looked as though he had been punched in the face, and for a moment Dean was sure he was about to get knocked out.   
  
“I care. You better believe that I care! You should have told me, I could have helped!” Gabe said, barely able to raise his voice without it cracking.   
  
“How? How exactly are you going to help my brother when you can’t even help your own!” Dean barked, practically growling as he spoke but unable to control the beast growing in his chest. The anger that had been building since the previous night was rearing its ugly head, and bringing with it all the hurt and fear he had felt since this whole fuck-fest had started. Gabriel looked torn, and Dean knew that he was secretly wishing he had enough power left to smite the hell out of the Hunter but he didn’t, at least not right now he didn’t. Dean had time to wonder if when this was all over would Gabriel find a way to make him pay for this, but right now he didn’t care, and he was very shocked when the Archangel turned his back on him and stormed away.   
  
“Where the hell are you going?!” Dean snapped, furious that Gabriel wasn’t staying to fight him but the Archangel only turned to yell over his shoulder.   
  
“Fuck you, that’s where!” Gabe said, kicking the door open and disappearing through them, leaving Dean all alone in the cafe, with nothing but the stern gazes of his fellow customers to keep him company. Dean growled and kicked his chair, silently daring anyone to come and confront him but no one did. They all seemed to be doing their damnedest to ignore him now, sensing it would be very dangerous to approach him for any reason.   
  
Dean took his seat again once his breathing had relaxed and he waited, assuming Gabriel would return once he had calmed down. He ordered another coffee and sat watching the clock.   
  
One hour.   
  
Two.   
  
Two hours sixteen minutes.   
  
Dean had reached the end of his rope and decided he had better go and find the wayward Angel before he caused some kind of catastrophe - he may not be powered up right now, but Dean was sure he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.   
  
The Hunter wandered up and down a few of the corridors, stopping every now and then to ask a passerby if they had seen Gabriel - short, light hair, looks like trouble on two feet - but it wasn’t until he reached the back end of the building that a passing Janitor told him he’d seen a man like that running away from the backdoor about thirty minutes ago.   
  
“Do you know why?” Dean asked, starting to worry that Gabriel had done something and silently promising God that if Gabe had fucked up their chances of staying in the hospital he’d kill him with his bare hands.   
  
“Nah, can’t say I do, Sonny. I tried calling out to him but he disappeared on me too quick, so I went on down to the back door to check it out...I thought maybe he’d been tampering with the electrics or something, they was flickering something awful, the lights I mean…” The man said and Dean froze, staring at the man in shock.   
  
“The lights were flickering? Did the electrics check out?” He asked, hoping he sounded more put together than he felt at the moment.   
  
“Oh yeah, they was fine, must just been a surge or somethin’...This guy a friend of yours?” The Janitor asked, leaning up against the wall and pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his overalls. “You don’t mind, do you? It’s the only place on this damn ground I can sneak one without the administrator ridin’ my ass…” He asked and Dean shook his head, not caring one bit if the guy lit up. He was too focused on getting answers and finding Gabe before something happened to him...or Cas.   
  
“This might seem like an odd question but I need a straight answer...when the lights flickered did you smell anything odd? Kinda like rotten eggs? Or did you see anything strange like black smoke?” Dean asked, praying that the answer was no and that this was all in his head.   
  
“Yeah, now you mention it I did smell something kinda funny, really rotten like you know? I figured it was just filtering down from the labs upstairs. They mess with something crazy shit up there, but…” The man shrugged. “That’s progress I suppose.” Dean nodded and thanked him for his trouble, turning and heading off quickly in the direction the man said Gabriel had been running. His mind was running a million miles a minute. If there were Demons in the hospital, everyone was in trouble and he needed to find Gabriel so they could get to Cas before it was too late.   
  
He couldn’t lose him again.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Gabriel still had some power left in him, and it was enough to put up a decent fight...but in the end the odds were not in his favour. There were five of them and only one of him. They overpowered him, and the last thing he remembered was cold black eyes full of mirth, and a sharp blunt pain in the back of his skull before the lights went out.   
  
When he finally opened his eyes again his body hurt all over, and a stinging slap to his face brought him around completely. He couldn’t feel his arms, which he realised too late where strung up above his head, chained to the ceiling above him and pulling him up so far that the toe of his tennis shoes barely grazed the floor.   
  
A man was standing before him, smirking down at him, and Gabriel growled something at him but it was muffled by a gag in his mouth.   
  
“Well, Gabriel, nice of you to join the party. Here I was thinking you were gonna miss all the fun!” The guy laughed, a chorus of jeers joining him and Gabriel’s eyes snapped to the four people gathered around behind the man. Demons. All of them. He was completely trapped. The douchebag reached forward and yanked the gag from Gabriel’s mouth. “Something to say there, big guy?”   
  
“Oh, just thought I ought to tell you my safe word is Winchester.” Gabriel joked, smirking when the Demon in front of him paled slightly, trying to hide it behind a sneer.   
  
“Yeah, right. And what would a Winchester want with a little putz like you? From what I’ve heard, they hate you.” The Demon smirked when Gabriel’s lip twitched, betraying his fear only slightly. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You really gotta work on that Poker Face of yours, cause it’s not worth shit.” A muffled groan from somewhere behind Gabriel alerted the Archangel that they were not alone, and Demon Douchebag grinned again, nodding to one of his minions in a silent command. The minor Demon disappeared from sight, and the sound of a punch followed by a yelp of pain was heard, then he reappeared dragging behind him a young female, bound and gagged and bleeding all over. Another Angel.   
  
“Looks like the rest of our guests are awake...You wouldn’t believe the amount of Angel’s we found hiding out here. Seems like they got banged up pretty badly in the Fall. We found this one at the front desk…” The lesser Demon pushed the woman forward and she fell flat on her face at Gabriel’s feet. “They’ve been a lot of fun to play with but what sucks is they don’t know anything...What’s the point in torturing if you can’t get anything good out of the victim, well...apart from the obvious fun in making them hurt?” The group laughed again and Gabriel stared down at the tear filled eyes of the Angel at his feet - she looked stunned and scared at the same time. He tried to tell her without speaking to trust him and not to be afraid, then he locked eyes with the Demon in front of him.   
  
“I’m sorry, is there a rest stop between here and the end of your monologue. I mean, not that it’s not riveting and all but seriously...what do you want?” Gabriel asked, smirking when the demons grin fell and he scowled at the Archangel. An angel blade appeared from somewhere inside his coat and he brought the tip of it to Gabriel’s throat.   
  
“You’re right, of course, all joking aside. Heaven’s an empty castle full of weapons just waiting to be plundered...so be a good Angel and tell us how to get in or...well…” The blade pierced Gabriel’s skin ever so slightly, and a tiny flash of blue light leaked from the wound but Gabriel forced down the pain and held the Demon’s gaze. He raised one eyebrow tauntingly and started to laugh.   
  
“Are you serious?! You actually think...oh man...that is just too good! Hold on man I just can’t...I mean I knew Demons were stupid but do you actually think…” Gabriel couldn’t get out a full sentence. His laughter was filled with a deep bitterness which only made the situation all the more funny to the Archangel, and once again he felt his old pain bubbling up - why had he bothered to come back? When it became clear that the idiots were not getting the joke Gabriel cleared his throat and explained himself. “Heaven...Is...Closed.” He said slowly so as not to overwhelm them. “What part of that are you not getting? If there was even the slightest chance there was another door in don’t you think we’d be there already?! Or do you think we usually hang out around hospitals waiting for these barbarian doctors to fix our booboos?” The Demon took a step back, clearly thinking things over but soon enough his scowl returned, only now it was marred by another emotion...doubt.   
  
“You’re lying! There is no way you winged dicks didn’t have another way in...Even Hell has several openings to it, how’d you think we all manage to sneak out?” The Demon barked, watching Gabriel closely for any signs of lying but the Archangel held his gaze, keeping his features tightly secured.   
  
“Yeah, maybe that’s cause you actually  _ want _ to leave Hell, I mean it is Hell after all but Heaven…” Gabriel whistled, grinning at the demon. “Who doesn’t wanna stay in paradise?”   
  
That seemed to do the trick, and suddenly the group were huddling together, discussing amongst themselves what Gabriel had told them and the Archangel kept grinning at them stupidly whenever one of them looked up at him. This was exactly what he wanted, and he watched with glee as the bickered and argued over whether or not he was telling the truth. Honestly, he would put off being tortured for as long as he could but if it came down to it they could do what they liked...so long as he held them off long enough for Dean to get his ass down here. Gabriel tested the ropes holding his wrists and found them to be tightly bound, no give whatsoever, so escaping alone was not an option, and from the way the angel at his feet kept staring off behind him he knew there was others back there who were wounded at the least...he only hoped they could hold on long enough as well.   
  
The discussion appeared to be over, and the leader stepped forward once again.   
  
“We don’t believe you.” He stated firmly and Gabriel tutted, shaking his head slowly.   
  
“Of course you don’t, I mean why believe me? The person with nothing left to lose...Trust me, guys, I’d be chilling up in Heaven with a Mimosa right now if I knew there was another way in but instead I am down here starring in Fifty Shades Of Black-Eyed Bitches with you morons.” Gabriel tugged on his ropes again, making a real show of testing their strength. “Good knot work, by the way, someone has played this game before…” The Archangel wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “So what now, you pull out your blade and we play a little game? You gonna stick me with it and make me squeal?” The demon grinned at that idea, eyes roaming over the entire length of Gabriel’s body. That was good, and the Archangel shuffled his legs apart a little till he was spread out and on view. The very idea of this creature thinking about his body made him sick to his stomach but he had to make sure that all eyes were on him...so that they would miss the figure of Dean Winchester, as he creeped into the room from the door behind them. “Come on then, big boy, show me what you got.”   
  
The plan worked perfectly. Mr-Big-Shot was far too busy making sex-eyes at Gabriel, and others were too busy watching on with delight, that no one noticed as Dean stepped up behind them, his knife already poised and ready to strike. He rammed the blade into the back on the closest demon, and Gabriel watched with glee as it’s eyes flickered and burnt out. The others reacted, turning and diving at the Hunter but the shocked had put them off their game, and within moments as second lay on the ground, dead from a stab wound to the heart. Dean was poetry in motion as he moved, a fluidity to his actions which left Gabriel in awe of him. He was finally seeing what it was that fascinated Castiel so much - this man was an artist with a weapon.   
  
The final two circled around him like wolves, and Dean stood in the centre with his knife raised, eyes fixed and deadly as he tracked them, waiting for them to make their move and promising with a single look that it would be their last. The one at his back lunged, wrapping its steely arms around him and holding him tightly in place while the one at his front moved in for the kill. Gabriel wanted to look away but he couldn’t, and he was certain that this would be the Hunters downfall...but Dean Winchester had a way of surprising the world. Without a thought he leant back into the demon’s grip, using it as a post to hold him while he lifted his feet right off the ground and brought both of his boots crashing down into the chest of the approaching demon. The force knocked the creature off his feet and sent it tumbling out through the doorway, landing flat on his back in the hallway outside. Meanwhile Dean had thrown his head back and smashed the demon behind him in the face, stunning it enough to loosen its grip which Dean quickly took advantage of, spinning himself in a circle until the beast was bucked off. As it tumbled back he lashed out, snatching up it’s arm in mid turn and yanking it back until it was being lifted up off its feet and straight over his shoulder. Dean’s aim was faultless, and just as the demon outside had gotten to its feet the second demon came flying through the doorway and crashed into it, sending them both sprawling to the floor in a tangled heap. The Hunter shot forward and slammed the door shut, bringing down the bar that barricaded the room off and finally he turned to face Gabriel.   
  
The Archangel couldn’t help but shudder.   
  
Dean looked almost blank - a cold calculating look of a wild animal accessing the best way to kill its prey, and Gabriel couldn’t help but lower his gaze to the floor submissively. It was a look which scared him, and he could tell why this man was capable of bringing Gods down to their knees. After several minutes of tense silence, Gabriel felt the man move forward and suddenly he was cutting the ropes free, releasing Gabriel from his bonds.   
  
“Shit, Gabe, are you alright? What the hell happened down here? And who the hell are they?” Dean said, babbling, and Gabriel was relieved when he looked up and found the humanity behind Dean’s eyes once again.   
  
“I’m fine...now. Jeezo, Deano, you were a beast out there! I thought I was dead meat until you showed up!” Gabriel said, clapping Dean on the shoulder good heartedly. “God damn demons, jumped me when I was coming back in through the back door…” Gabriel heard a groan from behind him and whipped around quickly, both he and Dean rushing over to the small group of men and women who were huddled against the back wall.   
  
“What the hell is going on here, Gabe?” Dean asked as he helped Gabriel check over the prisoners.   
  
“Angels…” Gabriel explained, wincing when he saw a hardness flicker through Dean’s eyes. He turned away from the sight and addressed the woman he had seen earlier. She was petite and blonde, and there were deep gashes all over her pale skin. He hair was stuck to her sweat sheened skin and she had been crying, her eyes carrying the tell tale tear tracks and red puffiness. “What’s your name?”   
  
“Salathiel...Commander Gabriel?” She said, in awe of the Archangel who knelt before her. “Is it really you? I can not see your face…” Gabriel fought to keep his features straight and kind.   
  
“You are the Angel who rescued Adam and Eve...You feel a great hopefulness for Humans and have fought for many years against their oppression by much older and stronger Angels than yourself...and when you were only a fledgling, I oversaw your first flight to Earth. It was a proud moment for me.” Gabriel said, happy to see that she was relaxing under his gaze as he spoke to her of things only Gabriel would know. The other Angels were trying to get to their feet, clearly fearful of not showing proper respect to him but he held his hand up to stop them. “Stay down for the moment, you are all wounded badly. You mustn’t hurt yourself on my account.” Gabriel turned to Dean and smiled before turning back to them. “This is Dean Winchester...You will treat him as you would treat me, do you understand?” Gabriel asked, a small amount of force behind his words that let them know how serious he meant that. They all nodded and inclined their heads to Dean respectfully and a little fearfully - even if they had been fully charged they knew enough about the Winchesters to never underestimate them, least of all the eldest son Dean.   
  
The all jumped when a harsh pounding started up against the door and Dean grabbed Gabriel by the arm, leading him away with a look back at the other Angels telling them to stay put...not that many of them could have moved without help, one of them looked as though his leg was broken.   
  
“What the hell do we do now? We only got one decent weapon between us and no offense but they don’t look like they are in any condition to fight…” Dean said and Gabriel thought hard for a moment, staring around the room for any other way out but they were trapped. The room looked as though it had been an old storage room, but there was nothing left in it now, and the only window was a tiny slit about two inches from the tall ceiling so there was no way they could have reached it even if they did have a chance of squeezing through, which they didn’t. The Archangel turned on the Angels against the wall again.   
  
“Do any of you have any Grace left?” Gabriel asked and they looked amongst themselves solemnly, their eyes telling Gabe more than words ever could.   
  
“We were severely damaged in the Fall, Commander...I am afraid all that is left for the moment is being filtered to heal us, but it is not enough to be of any use to you.” Salathiel answered for the group, fitting easily into the role of spokeswoman for the others. Gabriel sighed heavily and placed his face in his hands, feeling more and more hopeless by the moment but from his side Dean spoke to him softly.   
  
“...What about me?” Dean asked and Gabriel snorted, peering at the Hunter from between his fingers.   
  
“You’re short…” Gabriel answered and Dean raised his eyebrow at him, a silent warning. “Bloody hell, okay I’ll bite…” Gabe cleared his throat and put on a mockingly confused voice. “What about you, Deano?”   
  
“Use my soul to power you up…” Gabriel didn’t have to pretend to be shocked by that statement, his face went a drastic shade of purple and for a moment he was speechless. It was a good moment.   
  
“You have got to be fucking kidding me…” Gabriel said in a harsh whisper, hoping to his Father that he had misheard Dean, but the Hunter remained stoic.   
  
“Well why not? Cas used Bobby’s soul as a power up once and it gave him enough juice to drag Sam and I back from Frontierland, so you can do the same thing now right?” Dean asked, not all too happy about the thought of the Archangel fondling his soul but they quite literally had their backs against a wall right now and he didn’t see many other options. Plus if he could give Gabriel enough of his mojo back maybe he’d be able to help Sam out if... _ when _ they got out of this alive.   
  
“Why not? You want a reason? How about a hundred? Do you know how desperate Castiel must have been to even attempt to siphon off a Human soul like that? He could have atomised Bobby if he even twitched his pinky finger in the wrong way! And that was just a regular human soul, you are asking me to drain  _ yours _ !” Gabriel waited for Dean’s gormless look to shift into understanding but he remained clueless to the hilt.   
  
“What the hell is so different about my soul? It’s a soul right? A little hell-worn, but just a soul!”   
  
“ _ Just a soul _ ?! You don’t even…” Gabriel stopped for a moment and took in the Hunters confused look. “You don’t even know. Dean, do you actually ever listen to Castiel or is he just a pretty face to you?” He saw Dean flinch and his teeth showed a little as his lips pulled back in a growl.   
  
“I listen!” Dean snapped, but his mind was turning over fast, trying to pinpoint what Castiel had said about his soul...he had thought the Angel was just overexaggerating.   
  
“Uh-huh, right well since you are such a good listener, perhaps you’d care to enlighten us as to what is so special about your soul?” Dean was silent, not happy about spouting off about his soul in front of the group. Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Dean, your soul is not a normal soul, it’s practically cosmic! Even at full power it hurts my eyes to look at it, seriously it burns brighter than anything I have ever seen...And I’ve seen stars up close. If touching Bobby’s soul was like putting a hand in a reactor, what do you think fooling around with yours would be like? One misstep and I could blow this whole building apart!”   
  
The door was starting to creak and Dean was sure that it was splintering in places...seriously what the hell did the builders make this thing out of, Iron?   
  
“Yes.” One of the Angels in the back said, and both Gabriel and Dean whipped around to stare down at him. He looked almost shy at the attention of them. “I can still hear your thoughts...sorry?”   
  
Dean shook his head to clear it and stared back at Gabriel with a stern look.   
  
“Okay so playing with my soul would be dangerous, but let me ask you this...do you have any better ideas?! Even if they can’t get through that door what happens when they find out that Castiel is upstairs and helpless? What happens if they decide to start fucking with the humans? What then? We just gonna sit here with our thumbs up our asses until the end of time?” Gabriel couldn’t argue with him, but it didn’t make him feel any better about the situation. Sighing, Gabe moved forward slowly and started to roll up his sleeve as Dean undid the buttons on his shirt.   
  
“This is so dangerous…” Gabe muttered as he put his hand on Dean’s chest and locked eyes with the man, looking for any excuse to stop.   
  
“Yeah, what else is new?” Dean said sarcastically, steeling himself against the pain to come. “Just promise me you won’t blend my ass?” Gabriel couldn’t help his nervous chuckle, then without warning he pushed his hand forward, sinking it slowly into Dean’s chest.


	7. Saving Sammy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Dean deal with the demons and the Archangel sets off back to the bunker with the rogue angels they rescued in the hopes of saving Sam, but Dean misses his visiting time with Cas and now he has to find a way to let him know that they haven't left him behind...but will Cas forgive Dean for leaving him alone all day?

**Chapter 7** ****  
**Saving Sammy**   
  
  
“What the hell’s the problem!” A voice called from behind and the two demons who were busy trying to force their way through the sealed door with turned around to face their boss. He did not look happy. “I gave you idiots  _ one _ job to do, secure whatever Angels you could and call me! How did this happen?” He barked, smirking when the two lesser demons cowered before him.   
  
“It was Dean Winchester. He’s sided with them, came to rescue them…” One of the demons spoke up, refusing to raise his eyes to meet his boss’s. The higher demon growled and pushed the smaller man aside, but he had barely placed his hands upon the door when he yanked them away, hissing as they burned against the metal.   
  
“Iron...That’s why we can’t get in, Sir. The floors just concrete so we can walk through okay but we can’t touch the damned thing.” The second demon piped up but the boss was ignoring him, too busy scanning the door for any kind of weakness that he could use to break it down. He was going to find a way inside and when he did he would make sure every last creature inside paid for this shit! He’d pluck every damn feather from those Angels tattered wings one by one until someone talked.   
  
“Well they can’t stay inside forever...At least one of them has gotta eat.” He said finally with a grin, turning to face the demons behind him, but his smug satisfaction was short lived.   
  
A dull hum had begun to sound and all around them the walls and ceilings began to tremble. The noise rose and rose until it was ear splitting and the boss watched as his underlings eyes went wide with shock. He turned again to face the door and slowly began backing away as from the cracks around the edge a white light started to glow. They all clapped their hands over their ears as the din started to shatter glass from windows and rattle the doors all along the corridor. The lights flickered frantically and finally one by one all the light bulbs blew out, leaving the corridor far dimmer than it had been before but the light behind the door was growing brighter by the moment. The door quite suddenly blew off its hinges and flew out of the frame, spraying the room with flying shards of iron which embedded themselves deeply into the cowering demons, and they roared in pain as the metal burned them from the inside out. The lower levels attempted to smoke out but something was blocking their exit from their meat suits, and that something was sauntering out through the ruined doorway with a unholy smirk on his holy lips.   
  
“Well well well...If it isn’t my favourite demons! What happened, big guy, I thought we were gonna play?” Gabriel said in a sickly sweet voice which chilled the bones of the demons in front of him. Even the leader had the brains to look scared - this wasn’t some fallen angel they were dealing with...this was the fully charged Archangel Gabriel, and he was pissed.   
  
The leader stumbled backwards and grabbed ahold of one of the demons, throwing him into the path of Gabriel before he took off running down the corridor. Gabriel pulled his blade from thin air with a swish of his hand and twirled it around in his hand, taking a step forward and throwing it through the air in the direction of the retreating demon. It spun around as it flew forward - a graceful arc which mesmerized the watching crowd behind the Archangel - and hit its mark perfectly, piercing deeply into the demon’s back. The creature went down with a howl of pain, unseen eyes flashing as it died, and Gabriel straightened his coat as he walked slowly up to it. The Archangel put his boot on the demons back and reached down to yank his blade back out, grimacing at the blood which coated the steel.   
  
Gabriel spared the dead demon one final disinterested glance before he turned his attention on the two standing stock still and frozen with shock at the entrance to the room. He tilted his head to the side as though he were contemplating what to do next, and finally he spoke aloud.   
  
“I need a message delivered to your King, that is the one and only reason you are still alive right now and not decorating the walls.” Gabriel stepped forward slowly, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake as he approached the cowering demons. “So here’s the deal...I let you live, you skip on home and you tell that asshat Crowley that there is at least one Angel let with the power to turn his ass inside out and if I find even one of you bastards sniffing around me, him…” Gabriel turned to point at Dean. “His family or mine...I’ll make hell look like a walk in the park. Do you understand me?” Gabe growled, grabbing the closest one by his shirt and pulling him tight against his chest. The demon cowered in his grip and nodded his head frantically, turning his face to look at the other demon for support.   
  
“We get it, right Archie?” He asked in a high pitched voice as Archie watched on in shock.   
  
“Yeah, course...we’ll tell him right away.” Archie replied and Gabriel smiled, pushing the demon in his grip away roughly then reaching out to straighten his tie.   
  
“Good good, that’s what I like to hear. You’re smart guys…” Gabriel watched them for a few moments. “What are you still doing here....GO!” The Archangel barked, laughing when the demons flinched and disappeared out of sight before his eyes.   
  
No sooner had they gone, Gabriel seemed to deflate before Dean’s eyes and the Hunter rushed forward to grab him as he toppled forward, all the fight draining out of him in the aftermath.   
  
“Gabe! Christ, are you alright?” Dean asked, helping the Archangel slowly to the floor and turning him around gently so he was facing him. Gabriel was still grinning, but it seemed to Dean like it was more strained around the edges of his features. There was a cold sweat on his forehead and he had begun to shake.   
  
“That was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be…” Gabriel said, trying to pull himself up from Dean’s grip but the Hunter held him steady.   
  
“He whoa, no dice big guy, you stay put right now. You look wrecked. How much of my soul did you take?” Dean asked, curious as to how much time Gabe had before he’d run out again and need a top-up.   
  
“Enough. I didn’t wanna risk anymore incase I hurt you but I needed enough to take care of those assholes and…” Gabriel stopped suddenly, looking sheepish.   
  
“And?” Dean asked, an old worry bubbling up that Gabriel was about to bail out on them now that he had enough juice to do so...it would be in his nature, after all.   
  
“I might be able to help Sam…”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Castiel was out of surgery, and the nurses had set him up in one of the wards so he could recover, but it was still several hours later before he opened his eyes.   
  
The ward was bright and filled with late afternoon sunlight, and Cas was thankful that he could raise his hands up over his face to block it out now that he was out of his restraints. There was a dull pain behind his eyes which the sunlight was making worse, and his head felt like it was throbbing.  _ A headache _ , he thought to himself, remember the last time he had lost his grace and woken up in hospital. He wondered if there was something about these buildings which made people feel worse than they were, because he could not see any connection between foot surgery and his head, but the pain was most certainly there. How odd. The human body was a strange thing, and it reacted to pain in the oddest of ways - when he was an Angel if he had sustained an injury it was only the injured area which hurt but with humans no matter where the wound was the whole body seemed to ache with it. This whole experience was going to take some getting used to, and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to do it.   
  
He finally managed to pull his hand away from his face and take a peek at his surroundings. The room he was in was much larger than the first one, and this one had multiple beds with different people in each of them, all of them recovering from their own injuries. There was a man in the bed across from him with his arm in a sling, and next to him another man was sleeping with both of his legs in full casts. Castiel winced and counted himself lucky that it was only his ankle which was broken...He wasn’t sure how he would handle being laid up in bed with two broken legs, and the pain must have been unbearable. That was the first thing that Castiel noticed when he looked around the room...the second was that everyone around him seemed to have visitors. Castiel spared a glance at the two empty chairs beside his bed and he bit his lip nervously. He didn’t know why but he felt very strange to be sitting here alone while his fellow patients mingled with their families...there was a sharp stabbing pain in his heart and he felt on edge, head jerking up hopefully every time the door at the end of the ward opened and falling in disappointment when it wasn’t Dean or Gabriel waltzing through it.   
  
He kept his eye on the clock as the time ticked by, growing more and more nervous as the six o’clock deadline drew nearer - a nurse had informed the room that all visitors had to leave at six so the patients could get some rest.   
  
The longer he waited the more he noticed that those in the beds and seats around the room where looking at him, but averting their eyes whenever he looked up at them. They were not quick enough unfortunately for him to miss the look in their eyes...they felt sorry for him. This realisation made him feel suddenly angry - at his brother, at the other patients and their families, at the nurses who came in to ask how he was feeling...and at Dean. He had sat beside Cas, held his hand and swore that he would be here when Cas woke up, and instead he had disappeared and left him here at the mercy of those pitying stares and hushed conversations. Cas was so busy seething that when another thought crept its way into his head it caught him completely by surprise.   
  
What if they weren’t coming back.   
  
Cas felt panic growing in his chest again but this time he refused to allow any tears to fall, he didn’t need to give the others in the room anymore reason to whisper behind his back about the poor man in the last bed. They thought he couldn’t hear them as they talked behind their hands but he could hear perfectly fine. It was his foot that was broken not his hearing.   
  
When the buzzer went off at six, Cas jumped in his bed and looked around, but it seemed that it was only a way of telling everyone that it was time to leave now. Cas watched with sad eyes as one by one the visitors filed out of the door, promising their loved ones that they would come again tomorrow and keep them company. When it was all quiet again the nurses showed up, moving between the beds and dispensing whatever medication was required for the individuals. A small, blonde nurse with a kind smile approached his bed with a tray and spoke to him softly.   
  
“Mr Winchester? Are you alright?” She asked, noting the redness around his eyes even though he refused to look at her directly.   
  
“Yes. I am perfectly fine, thank you.” Cas answered in a curt voice, not wanting to risk saying too much in case his emotions got the better of him again. He really didn’t need this woman to see him cry, and he didn’t think he could bear to see her pity for him. He was fine.   
  
“Are you in pain?” She asked and he thought about it for a moment. Yes he was in pain, a lot of pain and none of it was in his foot. His heart felt like it was about to tear its way out of his chest, and his throat was tight and sore, making it hard for him to breathe correctly.   
  
“Yes.” He answered, sparing her the details of his suffering. She probably saw a dozen others just like him on a daily basis, why should she care that his family had abandoned him.   
  
“I could help you with that...I could give you something to help you sleep?” She said, and Castiel grinned but there was no humor in it. Sleep. He would love a good long sleep, preferably one which he would never have to wake up from again. These humans had a drug for everything, and Cas would love to sleep. He sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face, finally looking at her in eyes and finding only kindness there.   
  
“That would be wonderful, thank you.” He answered, smiling at her softly. She pulled out the appropriate pills and gave them to him with a glass of water.   
  
Cas stared at the little capsules with a strange look on his face, wondering silently just how it was that humans could fit the miracle of sleep into such tiny pods as these. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and swallowed both the pills together, washing them down with a contented sigh.   
  
She left him alone after that and he rolled onto his side, willing the sleep to overtake him.   
  
He got his wish, and soon enough the darkness fell, blocking out every bad thing in his life and he was finally at peace.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Gabriel took the backpack that Dean was holding out for him and ran his fingers over it gently, taking one last look at the hospital building behind him. He hated this.   
  
“I promised him I’d be there when he woke up…” Gabriel said softly and Dean placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.   
  
“I’ll let him know what happened, Gabe...He’ll understand.” Dean reassured him, anxious to see the Archangel on his way so he could get up to the hospital. He wasn’t sure exactly when visiting hours finished but it was already seven and he couldn’t help but feel that he was pushing his luck. “Right now I gotta have someone I can trust to go and make sure my brother is pulling through this. That’s the deal right? I’ll save your brother and you save mine?” The Hunter grinned and his heart felt lighter when Gabriel grinned back, but it was still hesitant. Dean knew how he felt...it always sucked leaving the most important thing in the world to you in the hands of someone else, and it didn’t matter who that person was you’d never feel right until it was you in charge again. Handing over responsibility of Sammy to someone else was so foreign to him that it left a hard knot in his stomach, and he couldn’t imagine how Gabriel was feeling right now. He knew that Gabe had just gotten Castiel back but in all honestly that probably made his guilt at leaving again ten times worst.   
  
“You’ll call me when you are coming back yeah? Let me know how he's doing?” Gabriel asked, and Dean nodded before taking a set of keys out of his pocket and handing them to Gabe.   
  
“I swear you’ll be the first to know when we are getting out, till then you make sure and call me when you know more okay?” Dean asked, and Gabe nodded back, both of them now beyond words. How did you thank someone for rushing to your brothers aid when you couldn’t be there? Dean didn’t think he’d ever be able to thank him. He didn’t have many people he could count on, and certainly none that hadn’t died on him...But now was not the time to be freaking out over that. “Cars at the back end of the parking lot, 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner...classic.” Gabriel didn’t look impressed.   
  
“Really? Couldn’t find anything that didn’t die out fifty years ago?” Gabriel said, smirking when Dean’s face went pale.   
  
“Dude, it’s a classic! Show some respect!”   
  
“What...for my elders?” Gabriel joked but backed away quickly when Dean raised a threatening fist. “Okay okay, don’t get so pissy. Jeez!” Gabe smiled at Dean and held out his hand to shake his friends. “I’ll be seeing you soon okay Deano...try not to get my bro in too much trouble. Oh and eh...about...them” Gabe jerked his head over his shoulder to the small group of Angels, who were looking on at the two nervously. “Thanks for...you know, everything.” Dean wasn’t overly happy about having a Bunkerful of Angels but something inside him told him that they’d be useful down the road and damn him to hell for his weakness but he couldn’t just leave them behind. They were all but human and hurt...they could die out here and it’d be his fault if he turned his back on them now. Besides. They didn’t seem all that bad, considering.   
  
“Yeah, no problem just do me a favour and…”   
  
“I’ll keep my eye on them...you can bet your ass on that.” Gabe promised, his tone clearly telling Dean that he was no more happy about it than the Hunter was himself, but what other choice did they have?   
  
So as not to labour the moment Gabriel turned quickly and walked away, leaving Dean standing alone outside the hospital with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Leaving his little brother alone in the care of Angels didn’t sit right with him, but he couldn’t help trusting Gabriel. When the Archangel set his mind to something he stuck with it, and right now he had set his mind to Sammy...what was the worst that could happen?   
  
After Dean saw the car full of Angels - or rather  _ over _ filled with Angels, if the truth be told - the Hunter left the parking lot and made his way into the hospital.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Less than ten minutes later Dean was storming back out of the front doors, cursing himself and the hospital staff but mostly the demons who had held him up! He wasn’t even  _ that _ late really, only...Dean checked his watch and whistled...okay maybe he was a little later than he thought but still, it wasn’t like they had to get pushy! Curfew enforcing little…   
  
The Hunter sighed heavily and leaned up against the wall, scrubbing his hand over his face. He could have easily took off and found a motel to crash in for a couple of hours, or if there were no beds he could camp out in the Impala but he didn’t feel right leaving Castiel alone now. What if the guy thought he had been abandoned? How must he have felt waking up all alone in a strange building? Dean felt like a complete asshole and he wasn’t leaving until he had spoken to Castiel...but how?   
  
He started to walk along the path around the outside of the building, and after about five minutes of searching he hit the jackpot...Smokers hideout. There were three of them huddled around a fire exit, slinking about in the shadows and unaware that someone was watching them. Dean backed up against the wall, disappearing into the darkness and waiting until the tossed their cigarette butts away and snuck back inside. The Hunter moved swift as a cat along the wall and dived at the door, managing to catch it just before it closed and biting down on his tongue to stop from screaming when his hand got jammed in between the door and the wall. He pushed it open a few inches and poked his head inside, grinning when he saw the retreating backs of the sneaky smokers disappearing around a corner at the end of the corridor. He waited until he heard another door slam closed in the distance before slipping himself inside and closing the fire door softly behind him.   
  
It took him a full thirty minutes to navigate the halls, ducking in and out of empty rooms to avoid oncoming doctors and nurses but finally he made it up to the ward where they were keeping Castiel. He saw a male nurse exit one of the side rooms and quickly he moved up behind him, lifting a stray walking stick which was sticking out from behind a desk and boinking him on the head with it.   
  
“Ouch, sorry big guy...desperate times, I’m sure you’ll understand one day.” Dean said to the man as he collapsed backwards into the Hunter’s arms, and with a grunt and a huff Dean dragged him back into one of the supply cupboards.   
  
A quick outfit change, and another apology, and Dean stepped out of the room with a full set of scrubs and a grin on his face.   
  
“Dr. Sexy, if you could see me now…” Dean said as he looked down at himself, smirking at how good he looked in scrubs.   
  
A shrill laughter from what he assumed was the staff room reminded Dean that he didn’t have long and he took off quickly down the corridor, searching for the right room. On his way he picked up a tray and held it as he walked, almost laughing out loud when two other nurses walked right past him without so much as a second look. Twelve hour shifts did that to people, screwed their perception right up and they didn’t even realise he wasn’t one of them.    
  
Finally making it to the right room, Dean was happy to see that all the patients were asleep with the lights out and right there in the last bed was a very familiar body.   
  
“Cas…” Dean whispered, hurrying over to the figure in the bed and quickly drawing the curtains around the bed so they wouldn’t be disturbed. He snuck around the bed and smiled to himself when he saw that Cas’ face was the only part of him visible under the blankets. The ex-Angel looked so peaceful when he was asleep and Dean couldn’t resist sitting up on the bed beside him and placing one hand on the man’s forehead. “Hey Cas...buddy, wake up.” Cas eyes fluttered open slowly and it was several moments before he came around enough to recognise Dean’s face. His face broke into a wide smile which matched Dean’s, but as his memories came back to him Dean watched that smile dissolve into a frown and, before he could even ask what was wrong, Cas had quickly rolled over and put his back to Dean. “Cas...buddy what’s up?” Dean said, getting up off the bed and walking around it once again but as soon as he did that Cas rolled over again, refusing to look at him. “Dude, come on, tell me whats up? Why won’t you look at me?”   
  
“You promised you’d be here.” Cas muttered, and Dean stopped in his tracks unable to believe what he was hearing. Was Cas actually pouting? Dean bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at how cute that was and hopped up on the bed again, reaching out to roll Cas onto his back but although the man went willingly he also pulled the sheet up over his face like a child hiding from a parent.   
  
“Oh come on, dude, wont you at least let me explain myself?” Dean huffed, trying to sound harder than he felt in the presence of his childish friend.   
  
“There is nothing to explain. You promised you would be here and I woke up alone, I’d say that was pretty clear. I was sitting here alone for hours waiting for you and Gabriel while everyone else looked at me like I was…” Cas was babbling and finally he pulled the cover down, still frowning at Dean with his bottom lip sticking out. “You couldn’t even leave a message with the Nurse to let me know you had something better to do?” Castiel asked and Dean pretended to think about it.   
  
“Hmmm...now how best to explain to a Nurse that your fallen Archangel brother was kidnapped by demons and I had to go rescue him before they turned him into a pincushion…” Dean pondered and that did the trick. Cas’ eyes went wide with fear and he sat up straight as a poker, looking ready to start shouting any moment and it was only Dean’s hand coming down across his mouth which stopped the ex-angel from waking up the whole ward.   
  
“HE WHA…” Cas started to yell but the rest was muffled by Dean’s hand, and the hunter managed to push Cas back onto the bed while listening for any sounds of approaching staff.   
  
“Relax, he is fine, we are fine! Now I am gonna explain all this to you quickly cause we don’t have much time. There were demons rounding up Angels and they got a hold of Gabriel, I managed to get to him in time and we killed them. I stabbed a couple but I convinced Gabe to take a power-up off my soul…” At this point Cas’ eyes went wide and there was a strange fire burning in them, an emotion that Dean couldn’t quite place. “I know, crazy, right? Anyway after we got out, there were other angels there too so Gabe said he had enough leftover to get them back to the bunker and maybe to help out Sammy. He’s pretty sick after the whole trial fiasco, and Gabe is gonna help him now. I am here to help you until you can move and we are gonna meet him back home, okay?” Dean asked and after a moment’s thought, Cas locked eyes with him and nodded. The Hunter slowly took his hand from Cas’ mouth and allowed him to sit up again, smiling as he watched Cas’ mind turning over with this new information.   
  
“So...you took care of the demons and rescued the angels, and sent them back to the bunker with Gabriel?” Castiel asked slowly and Dean nodded, growing concerned when Cas’ head drooped.   
  
“I should not come back home with you when this is over...my brothers and sisters will not be best pleased to have me around.” Cas muttered, more to himself than to Dean but the hunter was already grabbing him by the forearms and pulling him up straight.   
  
“No, uh-huh, not happening. I don’t give a shit what those angels are happy with you are coming home...I never thought I’d be the one saying this but while they are under my roof they will live by my rules! And you are coming home, so they can like it or leave!” Dean barked, fear running rampant through his veins at the thought of losing Cas again. They stared at each other for the longest time until Dean realised that he was still clinging to Cas and let him go, turning his face away to hide his blush. “So...do you forgive me for standing you up?” Dean asked when he felt it was safe to speak again, and he was happy to find Castiel smiling at him when he looked back at the man in the bed.   
  
“Yes, I forgive you. I believe Potential-Death-By-Demons qualifies as a reasonable excuse for leaving me lying here alone all day...just don’t let it happen again.” Cas said in a stern tone which did not reach his eyes. Those crystal blue orbs were glistening playfully and Dean chuckled, raising his hand to his forehead in a salute.   
  
“Yessir!” Dean joked, but the sound of approaching footsteps brought him promptly back to earth and he realised for the first time that he wasn’t going to be able to make it back out the front door without arousing suspicion. He looked around quickly for another exit, rushing up to the window and grinning when he found a drainpipe right outside leading down to the ground.   
  
“Dean...what are you doing?!” Cas whispered frantically as Dean started to work the window open, which was stiff from mis-use.  Dean looked around at his friend with a wink and scrambled up onto the windowsill.   
  
“I’ll be back to see you in the morning okay…” Dean said and when Cas raised a skeptical eyebrow the Hunter tipped him a wink. “I swear. Now pretend to be asleep and remember, I was never here!” And with that Dean disappeared out of the window and down the drain pipe, vanishing from sight just as Cas flipped onto his side and pulled the blanket over his head. The Nurse came in only a moment later with an annoyed huff.   
  
“Damn cleaners, always leaving these windows open! Smoking no doubt…”   
  
Unbeknownst to the woman, Cas was shaking with suppressed laughter under his blankets, hoping that she didn’t hear him snort and feeling much better now that he knew Dean and Gabriel had not abandoned him.


	8. Prophets Are Always The Last To Know!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean finally bites the bullet and calls Kevin to let him know they'll be having a few 'houseguests', but how will the little Prophet take the news?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just letting everyone know I havent been updating much right now, me and the kids have all got a really bad case of chest infection and its pretty much killing my drive. I'll try harder but I'm so sleep right now.

Kevin hadn’t left Sam’s bedside since Dean had brought the younger Hunter home, and the endless days and nights were starting to take their toll on the prophet. He was unshaven, smelling of sweat and red-eyed from lack of sleep - not that this was too different from his usual state of being these days. Ever since he’d met the Winchesters his life had been a non-stop crap marathon, and as bitter as he felt about the lot he was given he still couldn’t bring himself to leave Sam alone in this room. It didn’t feel right to abandon his post and his friend, and Kevin had learned to listen to his instincts because, like with all things in life, he was always right.   
  
The phone on the bedside table rang out and startled him out of his half slumber, and he rushed up to answer it, terrified that Dean was calling him with more bad news.   
  
“Hey, Dean what’s happening? Any news on Castiel?” Kevin asked as soon as he answered the call, because Sam was not the only person Kevin was worrying over. The prophet knew a little about what was happening from Dean’s text messages to him but it wasn’t the same as talking to someone straight.   
  
“Yeah he’s fine, out of surgery now and on the mend. How’s Sammy?” Dean asked and Kevin chanced a look at the sleeping figure on the bed, wishing that he had better news for his brother.   
  
“No change…” Kevin answered simply, hoping that Dean wouldn’t be too dispirited by the news. “But we can’t let that stop us, Dean, we’ll find something! Once you get back I can get into the archives and do some digging, we’ll find a way…”   
  
“Yeah listen, kid, about that... I gotta talk to you about something and well...you probably ain’t gonna like it much…” Dean said, hesitating as he spoke. Kevin rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, backing up so he could collapse into the chair beside Sam’s bed. Kevin heard Dean taking a deep steadying breath and he braced himself for the bad news...it was always bad news.   
  
“Come on, out with it Winchester, what the heck has happened now?” Kevin snapped, a little harsher than he had meant to but he hadn’t slept properly for days.   
  
“Something’s come up…” Dean said, and Kevin scoffed at him.   
  
“What’s new? Something always comes up.” Kevin said, wishing Dean would just get it over with already and stop his stalling.   
  
“Well see Cas is out of surgery but they said they’d wanna keep him in the hospital for a few more days so...well I kinda got this friend who said he could help you out with Sammy and he is on his way to the bunker now...He is bringing some of his family with him so I kinda thought you’d like a heads up before they turned up and started crowding you, you know?” Dean rambled on as Kevin sat up a little straighter in his chair, waiting on edge for a punchline that never came - what was so bad about extra help?   
  
“So what, that’s it? You are freaking out cause you think I’d be freaked out by some extra help? Dean I’d kill for another set of hands around here, even if it’s just to help cleaning Sa…” Kevin cut himself off abruptly but it was too late, Dean had heard enough to make him curious. Surprisingly, a small chuckle filtered down the line.   
  
“Kev, kiddo, not that I don’t appreciate your dedications but I doubt a sponge bath was needed…” Dean laughed softly but Kevin remained silent, blushing crazily and turning away from Sam as if scared the man would overhear him.   
  
“That’s not what I meant, Dean...how do you, eh...how do you think comatose people go to, well...the bathroom?” Kevin said, trying to be as gentle as possible with his words so as not to upset Dean too much.   
  
“Oh shit…”   
  
“Bad choice of words!”   
  
“Oh cra...fuck, Kev! I am so sorry man I never thought…”   
  
“What’s new?” Kevin grumbled, rubbing his fingers over his forehead. “Look, I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to look out for him, so let’s just leave it be okay?” The prophet all but begged Dean and he was grateful when Dean stopped his babbling and grunted something which sounded like a ‘yeah’. “Besides, I won’t be alone much longer, right? Who is this friend of yours anyway, he a hunter?”   
  
“Well...not exactly…” Dean’s reply was once again hesitant and Kevin was starting to get concerned again.   
  
“Okay so, what’s his name?” Kevin asked, hoping to at least get some information on the guy before he turned up but he was in no way ready for the answer.   
  
“Gabriel…” Dean mumbled, and Kevin dropped the phone to the floor with a clatter. “Kevin...you there? Dude come on, answer me!”   
  
“ARE YOU INSANE, WINCHESTER?!” Kevin screamed as he picked up the phone again, no longer concerned for Sam who wasn’t going to wake up no matter how much noise he made. “Angels?! More Angels?! You are bringing those things here after everything they have done to us?!”   
  
“Kevin man look I know you’re upset but…”   
  
“Upset?! I’m not upset, I’m livid! You are bringing the enemy into the base, Dean! You can’t trust them!”   
  
“Well what the hell am I supposed to do, huh?! Just let Sammy die?! Gabriel can help him, Kev! I’m not gonna turn him away!” Dean yelled and Kevin chewed on his lip, eyes flicking momentarily to Sam again. “I’ve made my choice, Kevin, now it’s time to make yours.”   
  
“Like I have a choice in this…” Kevin muttered under his breath but Dean still heard him.   
  
“Oh you have all the choices, Kevin, you can either suck it up and ignore them or you know where the door is…” The line between them went silent, each of them too stunned to say any more but finally Kevin pulled a deep breath in and answered.   
  
“You want me to leave, is that it?” He asked, rage bubbling up in his chest. After everything he had done, Dean was actually telling him to leave? The hunter sighed heavily on the other end of the phone.   
  
“No, Kevin, I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay and help us and to be safe but I can’t make you stay if you don’t wanna...You have that choice man, I don’t have any choices left. Gabriel is the only one who can save Sammy and we could really use all hands on deck here. We don’t know what the hell is gonna happen now that Heaven is boarded up but I doubt it’s gonna be good and if more shit does hit the fan I’d like a little more angelic back-up...We need to pull together here, Kev, otherwise we are all gonna go down.” Dean finished and for a long time neither of them spoke, the minutes dragging by as Kevin thought over everything and weighed his options. Of course he had choices - he could wait until the Angels showed up then disappear, leave all this crap behind him and never think of the Winchesters, Tablets or Angels again...or…   
  
Kevin turned his gaze towards Sam, lying motionless on the bed, and something in his heart gave a great tug. This was a man he respected more than anything else, a man who was always kind to him and tried his hardest to look out for him. He was funny, brave, strong and always putting others before himself...which was why he was in the mess that he was in now. If he had turned his back his life might have been better but he didn’t...he couldn’t, because he was…   
  
“A good man.” Kevin whispered softly to himself.   
  
“You say something, Kev?” Dean asked and Kevin shook his head to clear his thoughts.   
  
“Nothing, doesn’t matter. Look, I can’t say I am happy about this but...I am not gonna leave because of it. Besides, you need me.” He added as a snarky afterthought and Dean laughed outright at him.   
  
“Yeah we do, who else is gonna do all the geek work for us?” Dean teased, and Kevin was just glad to hear some laughter in his voice again. The hunter never laughed enough, and it was always pleasant to hear him when he did.   
  
“God forbid you’d ever have to pick up a book, Dean! Anyway when is...Gabriel turning up? Anything I need to know before they get here?” Kevin asked, wondering what kind of host he’d have to be to a bunch of Angelic dicks. He heard Dean fumbling with the phone for a moment then his voice came back again.   
  
“Well they shouldn’t be more than a few hours, so I am thinking they’ll turn up sometime after midnight...maybe around two. I don’t know if they are stopping for anything but Gabe said…”   
  
“Oh it’s ‘Gabe’ now is it?” Kevin said sarcastically but Dean pressed on, ignoring him.   
  
“ _ Gabe said… _ ” Dean took a steadying breath. “That he’d call me when he got to the town limits so I’ll text you when I hear from him, sound good?” Dean said and Kevin grunted his response, biting his lip nervously as he looked up at the clock. It was already close to midnight, which meant he didn’t have a lot of time left to enjoy the silence. “There are a few things I need to let you know...First, yes they are Angels but they are all but powerless right now. A lot of them were injured in the fall so they can’t do much right now. Gab..riel has a little more juice but he is coming to try and help Sam with it so don’t be surprised if he is weakened again when he is done doing whatever the hell it is he is gonna do. Look I ain’t asking you to be best buddies with them but I am begging you to just try and work with them, okay?” Dean said, and his voice was strained, pleading in a way Kevin had never heard before and it made him feel guilty about his earlier outburst.   
  
“Don’t worry, Dean, I won’t make this hard on you or them...I’m with you.” Kevin said and there was a grateful silence between them which was only broken when Dean coughed a little.   
  
“Anyway I gotta go get some sleep. It’s been a weird couple of days…” Dean chuckled and Kevin scrubbed a hand over his tired face, nodding even though Dean couldn’t see him.   
  
“Understatement of the century.” Kevin muttered, more to himself than to Dean, then the pair said their goodbyes and Dean promised him once again that the moment he heard from Gabriel he would call and let him know.   
  
Kevin dropped the phone onto the bedside table and sat for several minutes in silence, watching Sam sleep and thinking about everything that Dean had said. He couldn’t say he was happy with the thought of being around a group of Angels, but if it meant getting Sam back then he was willing to suck it up and deal with it.   
  
The kid got up and made for the door, turning around to stare back at Sam one last time and feeling incredibly guilty for leaving him but if they were about to be laden down with Angels then he needed to be ready. He made his way to the library to start reading, promising his hunter friend he would be back soon to check on him.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Dean finished up his call with Kevin and stared at the clock, his mind whirring with a thousand different thoughts. Where was Gabriel right now? Had they made it out of the state okay? Was Cas sleeping or was he still in pain? What the hell were they going to do about the Angels?   
  
That last thought was the one which troubled him the most, because he had no clue what the hell they could do to help them now. Gabriel seemed adamant that there was no other way into Heaven, but Dean had heard that before and they had always managed to find a way out of a bad situation. Perhaps the Men of Letters had some insight into it? Maybe in one of the library books or filed away in a box somewhere in one of the many storage rooms...He would have to start digging the minute they got home but at least he would have a few extra sets of hands to help him out this time. Somehow his thoughts turned to dreams as he slipped into sleep without noticing he was drifting, and the thought of life at the bunker with so many strange faces around made him recoil, twitching away from the idea as it barrelled down at him. His safe haven was about to be raided, filled to the max with fluffy winged douche-bags, and somewhere in his heart he screamed against the idea. His mind was torn in two, between knowing that this was the best way and hating the idea of sharing his space, especially when it was the only true space he had ever had in his whole life. It felt to him as though God was sending him a message…’You don’t deserve your own space, you need to give it over to someone else’...But he didn’t want to, why couldn’t he just have this one thing to himself?   
  
He only noticed he was asleep when his phone rang piercingly on the bedside table, jolting him out of his semi-nightmare and sending him reeling backwards up the bed. Dean grabbed the phone from the nightstand and answered, fear rolling off him in waves as he thought about Kevin phoning him over Sam, or the Doctor telling him something was wrong with Cas...but when Gabriel’s annoying tones reached his ears he slumped back again and groaned.   
  
“Gabe! What the hell man, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Dean growled, knowing it wasn’t really the Archangel’s fault but still feeling pissed at being woken up.   
  
“Oh sorry Dean-o, but I did say I’d give you a heads up when we crossed the line and we just did. We should be at the bunker in about fifteen minutes…” Gabriel said, and Dean made to answer but a voice from the background piped up, cutting him off.   
  
“Commander, I am feeling the strangest sensation in my midsection....” A woman’s voice said, sounding concerned and a little frightened. Gabriel took the phone away from his ear and asked her what it felt like. “Well it feels...hollow...and it keeps making the strangest noises, like growling or rumbling.” Dean stifled his laughter when he heard Gabriel groan, and he hunter would have bet his good gun that the Archangel was shaking his head and rolling his eyes. The phone moved again and Dean resisted the urge to make a joke at Gabe’s expense.   
  
“Please tell me you have food in the bunker…” Gabriel said, sounding annoyed but also strangely upset by it.   
  
“Yeah, Sammy and I had just stocked up again before...well before shit hit the fan so there should be tons of stuff in the freezer. You okay?” Dean asked and Gabriel sighed.   
  
“...Just wondering how long they’ve been down here without eating anything…” Gabriel muttered and Dean flinched a little, understanding finally what it was that was upsetting him. They had only a handful of Angels with them, but how many more of them were out there right now without even the slightest clue as to what hunger was and how to make it stop hurting...Dean shuddered at the thought and quickly brushed it away. He couldn’t allow himself to get sidetracked but in his head he swore that if they found any more Angels they would bring them home...at least to feed them and set them up for awhile. It wouldn’t be right to abandon them, not when it was technically their fault it had happened. Okay so maybe it was Megadouche that tricked Cas into the spell but Dean should have been looking out for him...maybe if he had, they wouldn’t be in this mess now.   
  
“Hey, we’ll work this all out okay? We’ll find them and we’ll get you home but till then there is nothing a little frozen pizza didn’t fix…” Dean said, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt. It seemed to work.   
  
“Thanks, Dean. I know I don’t say it enough but you are a good guy...my brother is lucky to have you.” Gabriel said and quickly hung up the phone before Dean could ask him what the hell he meant by that. Goddamn Archangels.   
  
Dean pulled up Kevin’s number and fired off a quick text, grateful that now he would be able to sleep again.   
  
_ “They’re coming...Good luck, Kid!” _ He wrote and only a few moments later his phone beeped, popping up with a text from Kevin.   
  
_ “Thanks, you ass.” _ Dean laughed and stowed the phone away, rolling over and falling back asleep again.


	9. Road To Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel has no choice to but summon Crowley to escort him into Sam's head, otherwise he will never be able to help Sam recover and might very well lose him forever. How will the King of Hell react to being dragged back into another Winchester Mess?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to remind people that this is my take on the show and although some things might be similar other things will be vastly different. I have my own thoughts in mind for how it would go and I needed to write them out. I hope you like it. xxx

Gabriel could feel what little grace he had left flaring up with joy as he pulled the car into a spare space in the bunkers garage and exited, like a weight was being lifted from his shoulders now that they had found a safe place to rest. Kevin, the young prophet of the lord, was waiting for them in the doorway which lead to the main building and despite the haggard look about him Gabe could sense his intentions were noble. The kid managed a smile, even if it was a little forced, and he nodded to Gabriel as he approached.   
  
“Hey there, Gabriel right? I’m Kevin…” The kid said, holding out his hand to shake and smiling over Gabe’s shoulder at the huddled group of angels behind him. “Dean said to make you all comfortable so…”   
  
“Never mind that right now, where’s Sam?” Gabriel said, cutting the boy short in his haste to get to Sammy. He couldn’t be sure just how long his grace would last even though he had been limiting it to keeping him alive and nothing else, and he would never forgive himself if he lost the chance to help Sam just because he stopped to rest for even a moment - for once in his life he had found something which was more important than himself. Kevin nodded in understanding but did not look happy about it, and he motioned for them to follow him out of the room. He lead them off down the corridors, twisting and turning until they finally reached one of the many bedroom doors.   
  
“I gotta warn you, he isn’t in very good shape. He’s been out cold since Dean brought him home and he was fitting pretty bad in the beginning but now...well…” Kevin pushed the door open to reveal Sam, comatose and tucked up in his bed. Gabriel felt his heart clench tightly at the sight, and it struck him for a moment that Sam looked as though he were merely sleeping, but the thought was washed away as Gabriel took in the flushed skin and the barely perceivable shivering which was causing goosebumps to rise all over his skin. Even without his grace, Gabriel would be able to see it - he was never going to be truly human, not like Castiel. That punishment was a fate worse than death. He might be weak and susceptible to all the quirks of the human condition now, but his grace had not been stolen from him...it was just dying inside him, and that made all the difference. These thoughts chased themselves around inside his head as he stared at Sam, and a great fear started to grow in him. Did he really want to risk what he had left for the sake of Sam Winchester? Was it really worth losing it all for one man?   
  
Sam twitched and groaned, rolling fitfully in his sleep as Gabriel stepped closer to him, and the Archangel made up his mind. He would do anything to save him.   
  
“Kevin, I need you to search this bunker top to bottom...and find me these.” Gabriel took a seat on the bed beside Sam, eyes never leaving the man as he pulled out a small list from his pocket and handed it to the prophet. Kevin read through the list and turned a stunned gaze back to the archangel.   
  
“You have got to be kidding me? You can’t bring one of those things in here!” Kevin yelled, ignoring the shocked gasps from the angels behind him, all of whom were stunned that this human would speak back to their commander. Gabriel, however, didn’t even flinch, and reached out to take Sam’s hand gently in his own.   
  
“I don’t have a choice...I can’t help Sam without getting into his body and since he isn’t awake to give his consent then I need to get into his head...which I also can’t do without his consent but thankfully I know someone who can.” Gabriel finally looked up at Kevin and his eyes burned lightly around the edges. “I don’t have a choice, Kevin, this is the only way. We need his help. Trust me if there was any other way to do this I would but he is my only option right now. Can you find me the stuff I need and set it up somewhere safe? Somewhere far away from this room?” Kevin thought about it for a minute before nodding and turning to leave, looking back over his shoulder at Gabriel.   
  
“I hope you know what you are doing…”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Kevin managed to locate everything Gabriel needed quickly enough - the bunker was fully stocked with all manner of weird and wonderful shit - but setting it up took longer because it had to be perfect. The prophet even managed to find a nice bottle of whiskey to use as bait, and maybe a little token would placate the demon and convince him to stick around. It certainly couldn’t hurt to try, but whether or not it would work remained to be seen.   
  
Gabriel felt terrible for leaving Sam’s bedside but he couldn’t leave this job to anyone else, it had to be him, and as reluctant as he was to see this particular demon again he would do it if it meant saving Sam’s life.   
  
“Are you sure this is a wise decision, Commander?” Salathiel asked in a timid voice, apparently still acting as the group’s spokeswoman - the others still looked too awed to speak to Gabriel directly and it was becoming really annoying really quickly.   
  
“No, I am not, but what other choice do I have? I cannot enter Sam Winchester without permission and gaining permission is impossible in his current state. My only way in is if I can find a demon to escort me, and I happen to know who  _ might _ be willing to help me out...eh, in...oh whatever. Do you have any better ideas?” Gabriel snapped at her, inadvertently taking out his fear and frustrations on the clueless female who looked very hurt by his words but quickly schooled her features and dropped back to walk behind him once again. The Archangel wanted to apologise but he knew now was not the time nor the place for showing weakness, and instead he ignored the group and made his way into the room where the prophet had set up summoning spell - a room which he had affectionately called ‘the dungeon’ and at first Gabriel had assumed he was joking, but one look at the chains attached to the walls and the general gloomy cell like feeling in the air made the archangel change his mind quickly. This place was a pit. Seriously, they had cozier accommodations in hell!   
  
“Everything ready, Kevin?” Gabriel asked, surveying the hard work the Prophet had put into getting every little detail right, despite his overall worn out appearance. The poor kid looked like he could use a few good nights in bed and some hot food, but Gabriel would see to that once he was done dealing with Sam. He owed the kid that much.   
  
“Yeah, so far so good. Listen, do you need anything else from me? Cause I really don’t wanna be here when you summon... _ him _ .” Kevin asked, wrinkling his nose as though he were smelling something unpleasant. Gabriel quirked his eyebrow but decided not to question him about it, choosing instead to clap the kid on the shoulder and nod.   
  
“Sure, that’s no problem. Why don’t you head back upstairs and get some sleep, no offensive kiddo but you look like death warmed up.” Gabriel joked, earning a small smile from the tired out man.   
  
“I think I’m too far gone to sleep now...but I could kill for snack, think I’ll head to the kitchen and get some pizza on the go.” Kevin said, smiling at Gabriel properly for the first time. “Just watch out for yourself okay, last thing we need is that thing running loose around the building. Dean would tear both our asses up.” Gabriel laughed and pushed the kid towards the door.   
  
“Don’t worry about it, Prophet, we’ll play safe.” Gabriel’s eyes fell on Salathiel who was watching Kevin go with a small smile on her face. She stood a little back from the main group and seemed to be fidgeting, one arm wrapped unknowingly around her belly. A thought suddenly occurred to Gabriel, and he scanned the rest of the group who all seemed to be in much better shape than she was...he could afford to lose her for a couple of hours as long as the rest stayed with him. “Hey, Kev...How about you take Salathiel with you and you both can get something to eat. She’s never tried pizza before.” Gabriel asked, trying hard to convey to Kevin that she was hungry without saying it outright. He didn’t know how she would take to him announcing it to the group, and to embarrass her was not his aim. Thankfully her eyes lit up at the prospect of eating at last, and she turned hopeful eyes on the prophet.   
  
“Would that be okay? If I could join you for…’pizza’?” She asked and something in her voice seemed to soothe the prophet, because the worried expression on his face melted into a small smile.   
  
“Sure, come on, I’ll show you the kitchen and we can eat. I’m starving.” He said, nodding for her to follow behind him and she jumped at the chance, quickly exiting with him. Gabriel could hear her barraging Kevin with all sorts of questions as they made their way out, and it made him chuckle.   
  
_ “How does one know when they are ‘starving?” _ __   
__   
_ “Does this pizza take away those feelings? Or can it be any type of food?” _ __   
__   
_ “What exactly is a vegetarian?” _   
  
When they finally passed out of earshot, Gabriel took a deep breath and began the summoning ritual as the group gathered around him, barring the door and waiting for their ‘guest’ to arrive.   
  
The Archangel took the knife from the table and cut a line up his palm, clenching his fist over the bowl of ingredients and allowing his blood to drip in, mixing with the rest to seal the magic. He struck a match and dropped it in, igniting the bowl and watching it burn up quickly, his heart hammering in his chest.   
  
__ “...Et ad congregandum...eos coram me.” Gabriel muttered as the flames died down, the air around them becoming still and heavy. In the blink of an eye a man had appeared in the centre of the devil’s trap, locked in place by the ancient sigil and helpless against its bonds. He was dressed in a fine suit, tailored to fit his frame, and he held a glass of whiskey in one hand, it’s smooth amber colour glinting in the light from the candles. A pair of flame red eyes met Gabriel’s before the flicked back to normal, and a scowl appeared on the demon’s lips.   
  
“...Bollocks!”   
  
“Well hello to you to, Crowley.” Gabriel said, smirking when the demon shot him a glare as though his looks alone could pierce Gabe’s skin.   
  
“Why is it that every damn time I think I’ve gotten away from this place and you fluffy winged pests, one of you has to go and pull me back?” Crowley barked, storming to the edge of the circle and clenching his fists at his sides when he found he could go no further. “Listen to me right now, and listen good. I. Am. DONE! I don’t care what shit your little human pets have gotten into this time, I don’t care what’s happening to Heaven! I have got bigger fish to fry, and more fun ways to spend my time than being Dean Winchester’s personal chew toy. You and those brats have messed with my life enough! So I am done. Whatever you want, whatever it is, I don’t care! Forget it! Every single time I team up with you people, I’m the one that winds up getting fucked in the arse! I like my arse! Why can’t you just leave it alone…”   
  
“You seem tense…” Gabriel said, trying not to laugh at the strung out Demon before him. He knew Crowley could act the part of the cool king of Hell but when you really got him wound up he was a whiny little bitch.   
  
“Tense?! I am beyond tense! I am so bloody well past tense!” Crowley scowled when Gabriel lost his composure and started giggling, biting his lip to hold it back. “This is funny to you? Those brats get you all kicked out of Heaven and this is funny to you?! Why the hell are you helping them anyway? I’d have thought the likes of you would have been torturing the hell out of them by now. And Cas?” Crowley whistled lowly, storming back and forth around the circle. “What the hell was his game plan? You’d think by now you’d know him but no, kicking the angels out? Even I didn’t see that one coming!” Gabriel stopped laughing and stiffened, a small growl escaping his lips which was aimed at more than just Crowley. The angels gathered around the room were all watching him, and he knew what they were thinking. It was time for the truth.   
  
“Castiel didn’t know it was a spell. Metatron tricked him.” That shut Crowley up fast, and everyone around the room gasped softly, many looking around at one another in shock. “Metatron told Castiel that they would be performing a ritual to close the gates of heaven and pull every angel back behind them, and he agreed. He figured that if we were going to spend the rest of eternity fighting amongst ourselves at least he could stop the war from spilling out onto the Earth...and then maybe his real family would be safe. Sam was closing the gates of hell, and when it was done they wouldn’t have to worry about this shit anymore...But it wasn’t a ritual. It was a spell. He didn’t know what Metatron was really planning, and he suffered for it. The final part of the spell...was the grace of an angel, and Metatron stole Cas’. He threw him from Heaven just before completing the spell, there was nothing Cas could do to stop him. Our brother is Human.” Gabriel finished talking and allowed this information to sink in, watching as all the angels around the room lowered their heads. It was obvious they were still angry at their fate, and nothing Gabriel could do would be able to heal that wound, but maybe now they would see things a little differently. Hopefully, with time, they would find it in their hearts to forgive their little brother...but for now the pain was still too fresh. Crowley on the other hand was having a rather strange reaction to the news...his grip on the glass in his hand had gotten so tight that the tumbler was starting to crack, and with one final squeeze it exploded, showering glass shards all over the floor.   
  
“...What do you need me for? I can’t help Castiel, not even the king of the crossroads can restore an angel’s grace. That’s just something I can’t do...even if I wanted to.” Crowley said, and Gabriel nodded at the demon, understanding the deeper meaning to his words. Crowley and Castiel might be enemies, but Crowley couldn’t deny he liked the Angel’s style, and he didn’t take kindly to backstabbing little bastards like Metatron fucking with his ‘friend’.   
  
“No, that’s not what I need you for Crowley. We’ll deal with restoring Cas’ grace later but for now their is something more important to deal with and you are the only one who can help me with it...I need you to act as a guide and take me into Sam Winchester’s head. I need permission to inhabit his body and I can’t do that without permission.” Crowley’s head snapped up at this and he levelled Gabriel with a very stern look.   
  
“Moose...Why do you want to possess him?” Crowley asked, and Gabriel smirked at the almost possessive tone in the demon’s voice.   
  
“It’s the only way I can heal him.” Gabriel said but this did not sit right with Crowley.   
  
“Heal him? What the hell is wrong with him?!” Crowley barked, once again toeing the line of the devil’s trap. Gabriel sighed and locked eyes with the demon.   
  
“Sam’s dying…”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Gabriel had never known a demon to be as cooperative as Crowley was being at that moment. He had hastily agreed to wearing the Demon cuffs before they would let him out of the circle, and he had followed quickly behind Gabriel as the Archangel led him up to Sam’s bedroom. When they passed by the kitchen he completely ignored Kevin, his mind far too busy running through everything Gabriel was telling him as they walked.   
  
“The incomplete ritual caused his body to go into magic shock, and they after effects are slowly but surely breaking him down. I am talking on a cellular level here. His very molecules are disintegrating one by one, and I can’t stop it.” Gabriel was saying, huffing as they took the last length to Sam’s room at a run.   
  
“Yes, why is that? Oh yeah, because you went and got yourselves kicked out of Heaven and now you are all bloody useless!” Crowley snapped, his anger bubbling over as he saw Sam passed out on the bed. “You idiot! This is what happens when you mess with things that are better left alone!” He screamed at Sam, towering over the passed out hunter and glaring at him. “You should have finished me off when you had the chance…” Crowley muttered, barely audible and in a shaky voice. “You’re just lucky you have this twat to look after you! God knows you need it!”   
  
“Can you help us?” Gabriel asked, watching Crowley watch Sam.   
  
“Yes. I can help. But you lot owe me big time for this! Starting with keeping Squirrel from killing me when he gets back, got it? This is your mess and when he finds out what we did here tonight he’ll be pissed! I want my objection noted down, I was against forcible possession! Got it?” Crowley snapped, prodding Gabriel’s chest with one pudgy finger. Gabriel held up his hands in surrender and smiled.   
  
“Duly noted! Crowley says No to possession. When it comes to Angels...Just say no. That about right?” Gabriel joked but Crowley looked less than amused.   
  
“Yes, and on your head be it! Now let’s get this over with, cause he doesn’t look like he has much time left...and neither do you, feathers.” Crowley straightened his jacket and reached out, placing a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. His eyes slowly bled into red once again and he focused all his strength on the tiny flicker of Grace swirling within Gabriel’s chest. He pushed his own darkness forward and waited for the fight, expecting Gabe’s being to fight against his own nature...but it never happened. The light flared up at his presence and shot forward, eager to be attached to his own, and they flowed together almost at once, wrapping around each other in a easy spiral. It was not a joining, not in any sense, but it was a bond strong enough to allow them to travel together and with a nod Crowley and Gabriel shot out of their vessels, white grace and black smoke coiled together as they flew. The twisted duo moved as one and Crowley allowed himself to take the lead, barrelling towards Sam and forcing himself into the man as quickly as possible, hoping to make it before the body reacted to the Grace he was carrying with him. The last thing they heard before they melded perfectly into Sam’s mind was the sound of both their meat suits hitting the floor, and Gabriel flinched at the sound.   
  
“Should have thought that through more carefully…” Gabriel thought and Crowley laughed.   
  
“I wouldn’t worry about it, feathers, not like you could damage it any further…” Gabriel’s grace flared. Crowley was so paying for that when they got out.


	10. Being Sam Winchester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Crowley infiltrate Sam's mind and we get a look at what is going through the head of the youngest Winchester's head as he lays dying in his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS!
> 
> Because of the nature of this story I have come to this chapter with a problem which I hope I have dealt with reasonably but that will be for you to decide. In order to keep the storyline true I have had to stick fairly closely to the original Supernatural Episode (Season 9 Episode 1 - I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here), but in order to avoid out right plagiarism I have changed it up as much as possible. It has been a very tricky line to walk, and although the story takes place within the episode I have attempted to change up the flow of the diaglogue. Thankfully, keeping it the same was only needed in the beginning of the chapter and as we progress to the end I was able to flow more freely into my own work, giving it my own twisted ending. I hope I do not offend anyone, I was kept up a lot recently worrying myself sick over this chapter but after conferring with my Beta she has given it the green light. If anyone out there does find any problem with it please feel free to drop me a comment and let me know, I will try to solve any issues you find. Other than that I hope this chapter is enjoyable and you understand now why it may seem close to the episode. xxx Thank you for your time xxx

  
_“You’re dying, Sam…”_ Dean said, eyes flicking nervously back and forth between Sam and the road in front of them. Sam felt the bottom of his stomach drop out and a hollow ache begin to spread throughout his body. The steady hum in his ears which had been ringing from the moment he left the church started to grow louder . Sam shook his head to clear it and scoffed at his brother, willing himself to laugh it off even though nothing about this seemed funny any more.   
  
“Shut up!” Sam said, heart hammering in his chest, but Dean finally turned his face to Sam’s, eyes filled with fear and dread. This couldn’t be true, it just couldn’t. If he was dying he of all people would know about it...right? Dean was still talking, and he could hear himself answering but it all felt so unreal now, so far apart from what he knew was real and true, that his mind had gone onto autopilot. His brothers words washed over him in a wave as they drove, a conversation he was pretty sure he wouldn’t remember later on.   
  
_“...out of worse...we’re gonna fight this!”_ Absolutely.  _“...in your head, you’re in a coma and you’re dying.”_ How could he even know that? How could he be sure?  _“Because I’m you and you’re you!”_ Well wasn’t that just fucking great! He hadn’t agreed to cut the trials short just to wind up dying anyway! If he had just finished the damn thing at least his death could have meant something, but now...jesus, he was gonna die in his bed  while his brother/annoying mind goblin ranted in his ear. This was just more of the Winchester luck, try to do the right thing and get screwed either way. What was the point in trying if no matter what he did he just made everything worse than it was when he started? He heard himself ask his Dean what the plan was and Dean’s answer jerked him out of his stupor.  _“I’m working on it.”_   
  
“What the hell does that mean?! I don’t know if you noticed but I am kinda dying over here!” Sam snapped, praying that his brother had some idea of how to get him out of this mess.   
  
“It means I am working on it, okay? I’ll think of something we just gotta put our heads together…” Dean eyed him with a small smile. “Figuratively speaking…” Sam huffed a small laugh and slumped back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose.   
  
“Oh crap, you really are me…” Sam muttered and Dean raised his eyebrow in question. “Since when have you ever used the term ‘figuratively speaking’?” Dean opened his mouth to retort but after a quick thought he shrugged and conceded to Sam’s point.   
  
“Fair enough, well you know what I mean!” Dean said, muttering  _bitch_ under his breath at his brothers snarky comment. “Either way  _we_ will figure this out, okay? Together, just like we always do. I’m here for a reason, Sam, and that reason is to get you fighting back.” Sam scoffed and Dean turned to him again, scowling. “What was that for?”   
  
“Nothing.”   
  
“No, tell me, what was that all about? What, you don’t wanna fight this?” Sam sighed and leaned back, staring out the window at the blank passing scenery.   
  
“Dean, I appreciate everything you are trying to do for me, I really do but let's face facts here. You’re you for a reason, but you’re also me, and you’re the part of me that wants to fight against this…”   
  
“...easy for you to say…”   
  
“But if the part of me that wants to fight has absolutely no clue  _how_ to fight...then I gotta wonder if I am supposed to be fighting at all.” The silence that followed this statement filled the impala with a coldness which sent shivers all over Sam’s body, and in those moments he came to wonder just how much of the real world could physically affect him in here...was he feeling things on both levels or was this all in his mind? Dean was the first to break the silence.   
  
“Okay, tell me you are not being serious right now?” Dean said in a deadly whisper but before Sam could answer another voice cut across him from the backseat.   
  
“Damn right he is and the kids got a point.”   
  
The pair whirled around to see the smiling face of Bobby Singer staring at the from the back. Sam grinned broadly at his father figure but Dean looked shocked and appalled to see him sitting there.   
  
“My brother,  _your boy_ , wants to die and he  _has a point_ ?! Whose side are you on anyway?!” Dean yelled, and Sam noted somewhere in the back of his mind that Dean had barely looked at the road in the last five minutes. He had to keep reminding himself that they were in no danger of road accidents to stop from yelling at Dean to keep his eyes on the damn road.   
  
“I’m on  _his_ side, Dean! You’re just getting pissy cause I ain’t agreein’ with you! Well I got a newsflash for you princess, you ain’t the only influence Sam’s got in his life, and my opinion is worth just as much as yours!” Bobby turned away from the stunned older winchester and looked towards Sam. “Sam, there is no shame in wanting to die…”   
  
“Hey, whoa, I never said I wanted to die but like what if I was meant to...I dunno…”   
  
“Okay, I’ve had enough of this!” Dean barked. “Sam, shut it, Bobby, clear off! This is some thanks I get for dragging your ass out of hell!”   
  
“I dragged him out of hell.” Sam muttered but Dean sent him a death glare and he shut up again.   
  
“Idjit” Bobby muttered, and Dean pursed his lips, clearing biting his tongue around his mentor.   
  
“Figures you two would gang up on me, can’t get any respect around here...kids these days, no respect!” Dean started muttering and Bobby cut across him.   
  
“Shut up, grandma, you’ll get respect when you’ve earned it. Try going around the block a couple of more times and maybe you’ll earn your big boy pants…” Dean spun around to bite back but Bobby raised a finger to him. “Ah! Shut up!”   
  
“You shut up!”   
  
“Why don’t you BOTH SHUT UP, you’re driving me mad! I can’t hear myself think!” Sam yelled at the pair, stunning them both into silence for the first time since Bobby had arrived in the car. The younger Winchester sighed and reclined back against the seat, covering his eyes with his hand as he tried to think through what he could do and where he wanted to go from here. In the midst of his thoughts he completely missed the puzzled look which exchanged between Dean and Bobby, the duo clearly confused as to what was going on now. After several minutes of silence Sam finally started to speak again.   
  
“Okay, if this is all in my head then I gotta assume that you are both me...or at least you are both parts of me. Dean you’re the part that wants to fight…”   
  
“Damn right! We go down fighting!”   
  
“And Bobby you’re the part that thinks maybe it’d be best to just admit defeat and move on…”   
  
“A lobotomy could fix that right up, you know? Just saying!” Dean muttered, dodging the whack that Bobby aimed at the back of his head.   
  
“Enough! Dean, I love you and you know I do but I can’t think this out properly with you in my head! I can barely work this out with just me in my head, so you gotta go.” Sam said sadly, wincing at the hurt look which was thrown at him by his brother.   
  
“I am not going anywhere, Sam! I am not leaving you with Dr. Kevorkian here!” Dean barked but Bobby suddenly appeared in the front seat beside Sam, a kind smiling gracing his features. He ignored Dean completely, who was spluttering and trying to push the older man aside to get to his brother. Bobby placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder and nodded to him, then in a moment he had whisked them both away from the car, leaving Dean and his yelling behind them.   
  
They landed in the familiar setting of Bobby’s living room, the older hunter sighing happily and dropping into a worn old armchair, looking every bit the loving uncle he was and reaching out to the side table to life a glass of whiskey which had been waiting for him. He motioned for Sam to take a seat and the boy obeyed, timidly dropping onto the sofa across from Bobby. Their was a glass of whiskey on the table in front of him, just waiting to be drunk and for once Sam didn’t deny himself the drink, why bother when he was probably going to die soon. He might as well go out with a drink.   
  
“So...how about you tell me what’s going on in that big head of yours?” Bobby asked, his smile warm and filled with understanding. Sam downed the whiskey in one gulp and sat fingering the glass absently.   
  
“Every instinct in my body is telling me to fight this thing, Bobby, to beat it down and get back into the game...but...It’s like I the more I tell myself to fight the more I realise that I don’t...I can’t...It’s like I’m…” Sam sighed heavily, hating himself for how muddled his thoughts had become and now hard it was to express himself.   
  
“Like you are fighting smoke? The more you try to hit it the more you realise just how futile it is to try?” Bobby asked and Sam nodded, unable to bring himself to talk any more. There was no point, Bobby already knew what he was thinking...Bobby always knew. “I feel ya, kid. When the end does finally come the urge to fight it doesn’t just disappear, that’s a learned instinct that tries its damndest to trip you up but you gotta put that feeling aside for a moment and ask yourself ‘what do I want’? Forget about the outside world for a moment, forget about the people out there...What do  _you_ want?” Sam kept his eyes down, not trusting himself to hold back the tears which were threatening to fall with every passing second.   
  
“...I am so tired, Bobby. I’ve been so tired for so long now I don’t think I remember what it’s like to feel truly awake...But I don’t want to leave Dean alone to deal with another war on his own. I don’t wanna just die.”   
  
“Son, don’t you go worrying about Dean right now, that boy can look after himself and he’s got Cas to keep him going...but don’t you think you have done enough down here? Don’t you think it’s about time to rest?” Bobby asked and finally Sam broke, huge shoulders heaving as he sobbed.   
  
“What do I do? Bobby, I don’t know what to do please tell me what to do!” Sam asked through his tears, staring up at the old man in hopes of finding some answers.   
  
“Kid, I can’t tell you what to do...but I do know someone who can help you.” Bobby said with a smile and Sam cocked his head to the side in confusion. “An old friend...so to speak.”   
  
“Do not flatter yourself, Robert Singer. I merely find your company to be somewhat less boring than a solitary life…” A voice spoke from behind Sam, and the young Winchester spun around, coming face to face with Death himself resplendent in his crisp black suit. Bobby scoffed from his chair and leaned forward to pour another glass of whiskey, heaving himself to his feet and walking around to greet the newcomer.   
  
“Yeah that, and you like drinking me out of house and home.” Bobby said, handing the glass to Death who took it from him without a word. Sam had never seen a stranger sight, and he had seen plenty of weird-ass shit in his lifetime.   
  
“You know, not many people have spoken to me like that and lived to tell the tale. I advise you to remember that…” Death said, but something in his voice betrayed him. It sounded almost soft to Sam, and for one strange moment he watched the pair regard each other with something akin to fondness.   
  
“What you gonna do, your Highness, kill me?” Bobby asked, smirking into his whiskey as he took a deep drink from his glass.   
  
“There are worse things in this world than Death, Robert. I made sure of it. Now, I believe we are here to discuss young Samuel and not to ‘chit chat’ as you would put it?” The eerie figure turned his piercing gaze on Sam and walked around to take his seat in Bobby’s chair. “I think you know why I am here, Samuel.” Death asked, but Sam knew it wasn’t really a question in need of an answer. Of course he knew why this creature was sitting in front of him now...it was too late. No backsies, no bargaining, a sealed deal. Sam was going to die.   
  
“You’re here to reap me.” Sam said in a voice which was very nearly a whisper. Death gave the barest of shrugs and sipped at his drink, watching Sam with interest over the rim of his glass.   
  
“Yes and no.” He answered once he had placed his glass down on the table once more. “I am here because when I heard that the great Sam Winchester had begun his crossover I simply had to see it for myself. Afterall one does not simply  _reap_ a Winchester...Or their kin…” Death’s eyes flicked towards Bobby, and that same look from earlier reappeared, turning up the corners of his lips only slightly before disappearing again. “You have spent your entire life giving my reapers a run for their money, and now this day has finally arrived I must admit you have me curious as to what you will do. For the first time in a long time, and I do mean a  _long_ time...I feel excitement. So, tell me Samuel...what will you do?” Sam stared at Death in awe, unbelieving of the words he had just heard and still shaken up by the fact that he was sitting in the presence of a real horseman.   
  
“I...I get a choice? Aren’t you supposed to just reap me? I thought after everything...you’d have hated me…like, this would be personal?” Sam stuttered, his words tumbling out of his mouth through fear and anticipation. Death exchanged a quick glance with Bobby and fixed Sam with a stern gaze.   
  
“All death is personal Sam, not just this one. My dear boy, have you never heard the phrase ‘when death comes for a man, he comes for a man alone.’? I admit it has been more than a few hundred thousand years since I took a soul personally, but my reapers know the protocol. Each soul, no matter what its destination, is precious to us and we take each and every one of those souls into our care, if only for a brief moment. I choose to reap you personally for one reason only...because after all these millennia, I am going to bend my own rules.” Death stopped and finished his drink, raising his glass to Bobby who promptly took it and refilled it for the horseman.   
  
“I don’t understand…” Sam said and Death shook his head, reclining back again.   
  
“Of course you don’t understand, I have not explained myself yet.” Death said, in the tone of a parent scolding a child which oddly enough worked well on Sam. He was growing more tired by the moment, the drink clouding his thoughts as the sky outside the house grew dark with the approaching night. It had been so sunny when they arrived. Sam couldn’t remember when the light had begun to fade, or indeed how long it had been since they sat down. It might have been weeks or months for all he knew, and only a stray thought at the back of his mind registered that it was odd. Nothing else mattered at that moment. “Normally, when a reaper calls for a soul the soul has no choice but to follow their reaper on to the next life or linger here on earth as a trapped spirit, eventually becoming vengeful and dangerous in their isolation. I am not yet old enough or proud enough to deny that we have escapees from time to time - you and your brother have certainly added to that number over the course of your lives, thank you very much for that - but this time there will be a third option, for you and only for you Sam. I put it to you now, that you can follow me into the light and finally be at peace...you can try to escape and incur my wrath for doing so...or you may live.” Sam’s jaw dropped open and Death scoffed. “Sam, it is unbecoming to sit with your mouth open. Bobby?” The old man leant over Sam’s shoulder and placed a finger under his chin, closing his mouth with a snap.   
  
“You’re catching flies there, boy!”   
  
“You are seriously saying I could live if I wanted to? You’d bring me back if I asked?” Sam said, shaking his head in disbelief.   
  
“Oh no, Sam, I can’t bring you back, not completely at least. But I can make sure you will not die...You’re brother may find a way to save you, but until he did you would have to remain within your head. I am afraid to say those trials damaged you almost beyond repair, and I make no promises for you surviving long in that state but you and your brother have surprised me before. Perhaps he could find a way. If anyone could do it, it would be Dean Winchester after all.” Sam sat back in his chair, thinking this all over. On the one hand he would love to believe that Dean would find a way to get him out of this mess, that he could go back to his body and see his brothers smiling face one more time. He could finally tell him all the little things he had wanted to say over the years - how proud he is of Dean, that he does not blame him for how their lives turned out...that it was all going to be okay...but then what? What came after the tear-filled reunion and the manly hugs? They would go back to the road, back to the fearful days and shitty nights, back to fighting with each other and lying to each other. They’d go right back to square one again and Sam didn’t know if he had any fight left in him, not now. He was physically and emotionally wrung dry, and now he had a chance to finally move on and get some well deserved rest...why was there even a question of him taking this opportunity? Sam smiled as he made up his mind and turned to face Death.   
  
“Okay. I’m ready.”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Crowley and Gabriel were speeding through the fabric of Sam’s memories quicker than light, but to the pair of supernatural beings they may as well have been doing thirty in a seventy-five mile per hour zone; something was slowing them down and it was grating on Gabriel’s nerves.   
  
“What the hell is taking so long, Crowley? Can’t these things go any faster?” Gabriel griped, glaring hatefully at the jet black wings made of pure smoke rising and falling rapidly on either side of him. He was perched on the demon’s back and being carried through the whirl of activity, memories going black around them as they flew - it was common for a dying brain to turn out the lights before it shut down. Crowley turned his head to lock his red eyes with Gabriel’s.   
  
“Hey, you wanna complain about the speed you can get the hell off my back - literally - and you can walk!” Crowley snapped, but he put in an extra burst of speed even as he talked - obviously he was not the only one worried about not making it to Sam in time.   
  
As they soared through into yet another memory, Gabriel finally spotted what he had been searching for all this time he had been perched on Crowley’s back - there was a beautiful golden light shining up ahead, coming from what could only be Singers Auto Yard. Crowley had seen it too, and slowly he began to descend upon the house, circling it on his way down.   
  
“Hold on tight, this is going to be a sharp entry. No time for a flare I’m afraid!” Crowley yelled over his shoulder, and Gabriel had no time to question what he meant before the demon had circled once more and was now heading straight for Bobby’s front window. The Archangel yelped - not that he’d ever admit it aloud - and threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Crowley and burying his face into the demon’s neck just as the hit the glass head on. Crowley had taken the window at a slight angle, enough so he could whip his wing in front of them at the last moment, shielding them from the flying glass and broken wood from the frame. The force of their entry shook the whole building, and amidst the chaos Gabriel saw Sam leap off the sofa and scramble back against the wall. Bobby Singer was rushing to Sam’s side, and sitting in the old worn armchair was the last person Gabriel had expected to find - Death sat observing the scene with a kind of quiet indifference, as though the sudden appearance of an Archangel and the King of Hell didn’t phase him in the slightest.   
  
The room was silent. Gabriel and Crowley fought to untangle themselves from one another and get to their feet, slowly, with their eyes still pinned to the horseman who was watching them with interested eyes.   
  
“Hello Gabriel.” Death said, his eyes flicking to Crowley who backed up a step or two under the scrutiny. “Fergus.” Crowley’s lip twitched but he didn’t dare to correct Death to his face, his love for self preservation working overtime to keep his mouth shut. “Why am I less than surprised to see you here? Would this be one of your amusing last minute rescue attempts?” Death asked but the pair before him remained speechless in his presence. Sam, however, snapped back to life with a jolt, glaring at the Archangel and Demon.   
  
“What the hell are you two doing here?” Sam snapped, advancing on them both with every intent on banishing them with his mind but Gabriel merely smiled at him.   
  
“Hey Sammich...Long time no see! Did you miss me?” Gabriel joked, hoping to calm the raging moose before he went on a rampage.   
  
“You were dead...we saw you die.” Sam said, his voice hushed and almost hurt.   
  
“Yeah eh well...about that, see I eh...surprise?” Gabriel said, but he could see behind Sam’s eyes the man was putting the story together all by himself.   
  
“...You tricked us...You didn’t die that night, it was all another trick!” Sam said, stunned and appalled as he looked at the Archangel. “You have been alive this whole time and you just let us believe you were dead?!”   
  
“Sammy please let me explain…”   
  
“NO! No more lies, Gabriel! Do you know how many times we could have used your help?! Do you know how upset we were when you died?! I have spent all this time convincing myself that in the end you were actually a nice guy, that you were just misunderstood and you showed us who you really where the night you fought Lucifer for us but now...now I find out you are just a goddamned coward! Get out! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Gabriel flinched as he felt his Grace tug at him, what little there was trying to obey Sam’s command and exit his body but thankfully Crowley was at his back now, one hand braced between his shoulders and keeping him firmly in place.   
  
“Sam I wish I could explain myself to you but I can’t okay! Not right now! There is not enough time left to explain but I swear to you once we get you out of here I’ll tell you everything, the whole story start to finish with no gloss or trimmings okay? But we gotta go now, cause your brain is shutting down and pretty soon there won’t be anything left to save, so come on!” Gabriel reached out and grabbed a hold of Sam’s arm, pulling on him in the hopes of dragging him out of this house and away from Death but Sam yanked himself back and out of Gabriel’s grip.   
  
“I am not going anywhere with  _you_ !” Sam snapped venomously, disgust clearly etched on his face. “I have made up my mind, Gabriel, I am not going back! Especially not with a coward like you who…”   
  
“Castiel is human.” Gabriel said, talking fast to derail Sam’s rant before he went too far, and by the look of horror that came over Sam’s face it had worked out perfectly. “The Angels have fallen, some of them are back at the bunker, Dean is at the hospital with Cas he broke his leg, Cas not Dean, and we got a world full of crap to deal with now cause Metatron has sealed the gates of Heaven trapping us all on Earth. Sam I know you hate me more than anything right now but damn it this is not about you and me this is about them...they need you out there Sammy, they won’t get far without you. Dean is torn up about Cas, I can’t handle these Angels on my own, I need you!”   
  
“ _You_ need me? Since when have you ever needed anyone? I’d have thought you’d love the idea of more chumps to toy with…” Sam sneered, but something in his eyes had softened just a little and Gabriel pushed forward again, hoping to break through the hunters hardened walls.   
  
“I lost my Grace, Sam. We all did. Dean gave me a little power-up off his soul so I could get in here to help you, but it’s fading fast. Please, Sam, listen to me I don’t have much time left now. I can help you.” Gabriel pleaded and Sam’s eyes wandered over to Death who was drinking another glass of whiskey, watching the show unfold before him.   
  
“Is he fucking with me?” Sam asked Death and the man surveyed them both, contemplating whether or not to get involved.   
  
“No. He has indeed lost his Grace in the fall, and what little remains is fading fast. I do believe he is being honest with you, for once. Although, he has not yet informed you of exactly  _how_ he can help you...Would you care to fill him in, Gabriel?” Death asked and Gabriel wished he had enough power to swat this creature, but even the thought of it was lunacy - not even a fully charged Archangel could take on a horseman.   
  
“Dean sent me here to help you Sam, but when I got to the bunker you were too far gone. Your body is completely breaking down, cell by cell, and the only way I can fix you is from the inside. I need to possess you.” Sam looked at Gabriel like he had sprouted two heads, then began to shake his own back and forth.   
  
“No, nuh-uh, no way! You are not taking my ass for a joy ride, Gabriel! I’d sooner say yes to Lucifer than let you take me over!”   
  
“Sam! This is your life we are talking about! It’s the only way I can help you! I swear to you, you will have full control over your body unless you allow me to take over. There will be no joy-riding, I’ll just work quietly in the background and you won’t even know I am there, I promise!” Gabriel begged, ready to get on his knees if he needed to in order to convince Sam to let him help.   
  
“How do I know I can trust you, Gabriel?” Sam asked, and Gabriel was at a loss, but Crowley stepped in front of the Archangel with a smile.   
  
“You can’t trust him...but you can trust me.” Crowley said and when Sam raised his eyebrow skeptically the demon pushed on. “I’m a demon, Sam, and this is a deal, put it into a contract and it can’t be broken. Only difference is this time around I won’t be the one you’re making the deal with, I’ll just be the enforcer. You will each be bound to your part and my power will act as the glue keeping it all together.”   
  
“And why would you do that? There has to be something in it for you…” Sam said with a knowing smirk which Crowley returned.   
  
“Call it my bonders fee, the world is a very dangerous place right now especially for me. I want sanctuary, whenever I need it. I don’t know if you noticed but you kinda left me high and dry when you refused to finish that ritual and now I don’t know what the lasting effects are going to be. So if sometime in the future I require your protection...for whatever reason...You have to take me in. Is that agreeable to you?”   
  
Sam’s eyes flicked from Archangel, to Demon, to Horseman and to Hunter, searching for an answer, and all the while his mind worked furiously through everything Gabriel had told him - If Cas was really human now and the angels were overrunning the bunker then Sam had to be there to help Dean. There was no way he could leave his brother alone when so much was messed up now, half of it because of him. He locked eyes with Gabriel and scanned his face for any sign of deception but finding none he sighed and finally, after all this time and mistrust, he nodded. Gabriel’s face lit up and he looked towards Crowley. The Demon took the Archangel by the shoulder and led him over to Sam, reaching out his other hand to grip the hunter by his shoulder also.   
  
“You need to say the word, Sam. It won’t work unless you say the word.” Crowley said, waiting for Sam’s go before he worked his own brand of magic on the pair. Sam closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath.   
  
“Yes.”   


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of the nature of this story I have come to this chapter with a problem which I hope I have dealt with reasonably but that will be for you to decide. In order to keep the storyline true I have had to stick fairly closely to the original Supernatural Episode (Season 9 Episode 1 - I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here), but in order to avoid out right plagiarism I have changed it up as much as possible. It has been a very tricky line to walk, and although the story takes place within the episode I have attempted to change up the flow of the diaglogue. Thankfully, keeping it the same was only needed in the beginning of the chapter and as we progress to the end I was able to flow more freely into my own work, giving it my own twisted ending. I hope I do not offend anyone, I was kept up a lot recently worrying myself sick over this chapter but after conferring with my Beta she has given it the green light. If anyone out there does find any problem with it please feel free to drop me a comment and let me know, I will try to solve any issues you find. Other than that I hope this chapter is enjoyable and you understand now why it may seem close to the episode. xxx Thank you for your time xxx


	11. On The Road Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel has a sit down with the Angels and explains to them the situation between himself and Sam, urging them to treat the hunter as no different to himself and promising them without a doubt he will find a way to return them and all their siblings to Heaven. Kevin grows far fonder of the Angel Salathiel as they bond over a shared love for pizza, and Crowley well...he's bloody Crowley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has actually been written and awaiting publishing for awhile but I was unsure if it was good enough to go ahead with, I hope you like it. It's more of a bridging chapter (which I HATE writing!), and more of the main storyline should continue in the next chapter. Cas will return to the main plot with Dean by his side, and we'll get a closer look at the dynamics of an Angelic garrison as they work together to find another way into Heaven.

Salathiel could not get over just how good ‘pizza’ tasted, and Kevin couldn’t get over the fact that there was a real live Angel Of The Lord eating pizza with him in the Winchesters kitchen - some things were just too much to take in, even for a Prophet. Kevin had to admit, although he would never have said the words out loud, that Salathiel was a very beautiful woman. She was tall and thin but not overly so, a fine set of curves just definable under her clothes, and her hair was shoulder length shocking red, but it was her eyes above all that Kevin found to be her most striking feature. They were the most striking colour of green, like emeralds, framed in thick black eyelashes. Kevin found himself almost getting lost while staring at her, unable to comprehend that this woman was really an Angel.   
  
The Prophet had finished off three slices of pizza before declaring himself full and offering up his remaining half of the meal to the angel who seemed confused but pleased with his offering.   
  
“You are a very kind man, Prophet Kevin.” She said, looking at him with a smile that could light up the darkest of rooms and Kevin couldn’t help but return the grin.   
  
“Please, just Kevin...How are you enjoying the food?” Kevin asked, hoping to make some small talk to pass the time since angels seemed to be content just sitting in silence and Kevin couldn’t stand the silence any longer. She gave him the same head tilt he had come to associate with Castiel and gave him a look of confusion.   
  
“I place it in my mouth, chew and swallow and that course of action brings me enjoyment.” Salathiel answered, having taken his words literally because of course that’s what Angels did - how could he have forgotten? Kevin chuckled lightly and shook his head.   
  
“No no, it’s just a phrase…” He explained, sighing when she looked even more confused. “I meant to say ‘are you enjoying the food?’, that’s what that means.”   
  
“Oh...I see. Then, in answer to your question, yes I am enjoying this ‘pizza’ very much, thank you.” She said, taking another huge bite and moaning at the taste. “I never realised that consuming food could be so pleasurable.” Kevin blushed slightly at her choice of words but was spared having to explain why to her by the sudden arrival of one of the Angels. He came running into the room and stopped short, out of breath and seemingly trying to make a proper announcement of his presence. It appeared to Kevin that next to Gabriel, this female was in charge, and whoever this new male was, he was trying with all his might to gather enough oxygen into his lungs to show her some respect, but he was failing miserably. Thankfully, Salathiel took some pity on him and got to her feet, rushing over to him and helping him upright.   
  
“Barrattiel, are you alright brother? Where is Commander Gabriel?” Salathiel asked, putting enough force behind her words to startle Kevin who had grown used to the soft spoken and curious angel rather than this commanding and powerful one. It was a little frightening to suddenly be reminded that this woman before him was not some quiet little girl, but a powerful Angel of the Lord...former powerful Angel of the Lord, but still impressive none the less. The man finally managed to compose himself and straightened up, hands behind his back and head ducked respectfully, but Kevin saw that his eyes kept flicking curiously between his leader and the Prophet himself. It was very curious.   
  
“Forgive me for interrupting your meal, sister, but I thought you should know that Commander Gabriel has returned with Samuel Winchester and the demon Crowley. All appear to be unharmed but our Commander is...a little different than before.” Barrattiel explained, stuttering his words as though he were reluctant to explain the situation in front of Kevin, and it seemed like his eyes were wandering over the boy more and more often as he spoke. Salathiel took no notice of his odd behaviour, and if she did she certainly did not show it, but something in her voice demanded his attention.   
  
“Different how exactly?” She asked but as Barrattiel opened his mouth to answer a voice spoke from the doorway.   
  
“Bigger, badder and downright sexier... _ Gabriel _ ! Jeezo Moose, lighten up!  _ You said no joyriding! You want me to call Crowley back?! _ Okay okay! I’ll explain then it’s your show, deal? Alright.” Sam Winchester stood in the doorway, looking pale and sweat drenched but alive, and behind his eyes there was a glow that looked unnatural to him. Salathiel’s mouth fell open as she walked slowly forward, approaching this man with a caution that she was not used to showing. She had battled the armies of Heaven and Hell but the stories of Sam Winchester were legendary - a great warrior, fierce and loyal, imbued with Demon blood and capable of killing with a mere thought. This man before her had slain more enemies than any other in his field, and he was feared amongst the monsters of the supernatural realm. If she had been at full strength she might have taken no notice of any of these facts, and that might have been her undoing but she would have gone to her death with glory no matter her ignorance, but now that she was all but human she felt something stirring in her belly, a hollowness not unlike the feeling of hunger but stronger and her legs seemed to have turned to lead. Indeed lifting them to walk was a chore, like her body was fighting against her, wishing to run away rather than to walk ahead but she was doing her best to ignore it. She had never run from anything in her life and she was not about to start now.   
  
When she finally reached the spot just before the hunter she paused, looking up into his eyes and seeking answers, finding everything she needed to know sheltered deep within them.   
  
“...Commander? Is it really you in there?” She asked, her voice very soft and stunned at the realisation. Gabriel smiled and it was a grin she knew too well not to recognise.   
  
“Yeah, it’s me, just got a vessel upgrade is all.” Gabriel explained, allowing her hand - which had slowly risen and was inching closer to his face - to make contact with his cheek, fingers slowly stroking over the skin. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to feel his grace beneath the soft human skin, but it was not possible in her current state, although the instinct remained the same. A sharp pain shot through Gabe’s heart, and once again he vowed to himself that he would make this right, that this cluster fuck would somehow be unfucked and these angels would go home again. He owed them that much.   
  
“How is this possible? The guidelines are very clear on vessels, we have bloodlines we must follow. How is it you are able to possess Sam when he is not of your line?” Salathiel asked and Gabriel sighed softly, placing one hand on her arm and leading her back to the table. They took their seats and, after receiving a nod from both Gabriel and Salathiel - and completely ignoring Kevin - Barrattiel took a seat across from them.   
  
“Sam Winchester is a very special vessel, you all know that much, he was built for an Archangel much more powerful than me but still on the same level as myself. If  _ you _ were to possess him, you would find him hard to control but with his full permission he would be able to contain you. If you were to take a vessel built for a lesser angel than yourself though or if you possessed a human who wasn’t built to be a vessel at all then...well...you are all very aware of what would happen then!” Gabriel said, and a collective shudder ran through the three Angels which set Kevin’s curiosity running at full speed.   
  
“What would happen?” He asked, his innocent question seeming to upset the Angels, and although Gabriel and Salathiel exchanged a look as if they were contemplating the best way to answer, Barrattiel looked smug and a little angry.   
  
“Can you not see it is not something we enjoy discussing, human? Commander Gabriel does not have time to fool around explaining the finer details of the universe to your small uncomprehending mind!” The Angel snapped, but he quickly regretted it when Salathiel - moving much faster than Gabriel which was probably lucky for Barrattiel since Gabe looked ready for committing murder - leapt to her feet and towered over the smaller male angel.   
  
“You will watch your tone and your words when you are addressing Kevin Tran, Barrattiel, or you will have me to answer to, do you understand me? This young man, along with the Winchesters, has agreed to take us into his home when we find ourselves without one. He has prepared food for us and beds, sheltered us and been nothing but welcoming since we arrived on his doorstep, so if he should ask you to explain  _ anything _ to him...anything at all...you.WILL.answer him. Is this in anyway unclear to you?” Salathiel said, glaring down at her brother who looked properly cowed, and Gabriel thought with a grin that if they still had working wings, Salathiel’s would be arched over her head in a display of dominance over Barrattiel, and his would no doubt be flat out against the floor, curled under and begging for forgiveness. She was a real warrior, and her defense of Kevin Tran had Gabriel wondering…   
  
“Okay then...well, as I was going to say, Kevin, before we were interrupted by douchebag here…” Gabriel pointed to Barrattiel, but the Angel didn’t see him as his eyes were fixed firmly on the floor, head bowed and shoulders hunched. “If Salathiel here, powerful as she is, were to possess a vessel not built for her station, that vessel would...well...explode.” Kevin made a face and muttered to himself  _ ‘sorry I asked…’ _ but Salathiel reached out and placed her hand over his, smiling at him. Her movements were jerky and seemed somewhat forced, but Kevin knew that this was just because the action was one she was not used to performing - Angels didn’t exactly operate in the same was as Humans, but the attempt was a nice gesture, one the prophet appreciated. It occurred to him that it had been a long time since someone had touched him just to comfort him.   
  
“Do not apologise, Kevin, your curiosity is a very special human quality. You should never be ashamed of it.” She said, and for a moment they simply smiled at each other until Gabriel cleared his throat and the spell was broken. Gabriel’s eyes darted between the pair, but whatever had passed between them was gone as quickly as it had come.   
  
“...Yeah, well, as I was saying they’d explode, bits of human and angel would go flying all over the place and there’d be a right mess left to clean up BUT if she were to take a vessel that was built for her station - even if it wasn’t built for  _ her _ specifically - then she could pass in it. Think about it like when Luci took over that guy Nick...It wasn’t  _ his _ vessel, so he was only at half power while he used it but he still could use it. That’s kinda like what I’m doing with Sam right now.” Gabriel took a moment to straighten Sam’s shirt and flicked an imaginary piece of dust off his shoulder with a smug grin. “This ain’t  _ my _ suit, I’m just borrowing it. Though, I gotta say, it fits me pretty well don’tcha think?” Gabriel’s face changed suddenly, his boyish grin disappearing in an instant, replaced by what was very clearly a pissed off Sam Winchester. “ _ I’m not a freakin’ prom dress, Gabe! Get on with it! _ ” Gabriel came back quickly as Sam retreated back behind his own eyes, and it was really weirding Kevin out but he rolled with it. If Sam had agreed to it then there had to be a good reason behind it. Gabriel rolled his eyes at yet another interruption and muttered something in Enochian that Kevin was sure had been a swear word, or at least as close to a curse as Angelic language could possibly get without crossing the line into outright swearing. Salathiel clearly understood it because her face went red and her eyes darted between Gabriel and Kevin, clearly wondering if the Prophet knew enough to understand but Kevin caught her eye and shrugged, shaking his head. Despite what a lot of people thought, Kevin was not fluent in Enochian, he understood a great deal of it but most of the time it was like trying to recognise faces through smoke - he knew enough features to get the gist but they blurred out fast enough. The human mind was not built for all the subtle little quirks of a language so complex, but people like Kevin had the ability to store them for a short period of time, usually only long enough to make sense of what he was reading before it filtered out of his mind again. The Prophet had often likened the experience to dreaming, because when you woke up it was still clear in your mind, but as you went about your day the details became fuzzy, and the longer you went on the less you remembered. It was infuriating at times. Of course he had never bothered explaining this to Sam and Dean because he could barely explain it to himself, and he sometimes got the feeling that if he confused Dean too much too often the hunter might just go find his shotgun. He knew in his heart Dean would never actually shoot him, but catch him on a bad day and he gave off the impression of being a shoot first and ask questions later kind of guy. It was his front, and he held it well.   
  
“If you’ll forgive me, Commander, I still don’t quite understand why you felt the need to possess Sam Winchester in the first place. Your vessel was damaged of course, but not beyond repair…” Salathiel said and Gabriel smiled at her, reclining in his chair.   
  
“You’re right of course,  _ my _ body wasn’t dying...but Sam’s was, and I couldn’t fix him from the outside. I have to be in here to work on him, molecules up. He did a lot of damage to himself during the trials and the process will be slow but eventually he’ll be back to his good ol’ gigantor self…” Gabriel’s hand whipped out and slapped his other hand, which had been resting on his inner thigh, and although Salathiel didn’t understand what had just happened Kevin had to put a hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh, eyes glinting even as Gabriel glared at him. “Damn it, can’t an angel scratch himself around here without getting told off!” There was silence while Gabriel listened to something the others couldn’t hear, but whatever it was made him roll his eyes. “Ohhh big talk, you wanna say that to my face...I’ll find a damn mirror if I have to, don’t make me find a mirror! Yes, I am almost done! You know you could show a little gratitude, I am using whats left of my power to heal your sorry ass...well for starters you could let me scratch my balls in peace... _ your _ balls, yes, but regardless of who’s balls they are,THEY ITCH! Listen, I am not having this arguement with you, so can we please just finish this up so I can get some rest...Thank you!” Gabriel’s eyes returned to the table and he smiled, shaking his head. “Winchesters, who’d live with them.” Kevin got to his feet and went to the fridge, searching the shelves for something, and Gabriel, Salathiel and Barrattiel all watched him curiously. “What’cha looking for there, Prophet?” Gabriel asked, smirking when Kevin straightened up with a six pack of beer in his hand.   
  
“If I’m gonna have to sit and listen to you having a one sided argument with Sam over whose balls are itchy, I am gonna need something a little stronger than water to deal with it.” Kevin answered, pulling one bottle free for himself and another for Salathiel before handing the rest to Gabriel. He popped the top and gave the bottle to the girl, smiling as he popped open his own and took a deep glug, frowning at the taste but relishing the warmth it gave him in the pit of his stomach. Normally, Kevin didn’t drink, but recently what with all the crap that had been laid at his feet he found an occasional beer to be refreshing, and he thought to himself that so long as he didn’t start leaning on it the way Dean did he would be fine...and so long as his mother never caught him. Legal or not, adult or kid, she’d tan his hide and make herself a handbag out of it if she ever caught him knocking back alcohol. “Just don’t tell my mother…” He added in an undertone that Gabriel caught quite clearly and started to laugh about.   
  
“Your secret is safe with us, kiddo. Anyway, rather than risk another Sammy-sized bitch fit how about a lay down the rules for dealing with this situation then we can all get to bed. I’d like to catch a couple of hours sleep before checking in with Dean.” Gabriel’s smile strained slightly on the edges as his worry over Castiel’s condition hit him full force in the chest once again, and secretly he hoped that the guy was doing okay in hospital. He knew Dean was no doubt climbing the walls after leaving him there, close by or not it would make no difference - it’s exactly how  _ he _ would be feeling if he were in Dean’s situation. “First rule…” Gabriel started to say but Barrattiel cut over him timidly, still clearly sore after his telling off earlier.   
  
“Pardon me, Sir, but don’t you think it would be a good idea to collect Emmanuel and Lamechial first so they may also hear your rules? They are still in the dungeon guarding the demon, Crowley.” The Angel asked and Gabriel pursed his lips slightly but nodded, gesturing everyone to their feet and leading them out the door. Salathiel and Barrattiel walked a little ahead of Gabriel and Kevin so that the Archangel could have a private word with the Prophet.   
  
“You feeling okay, kiddo?” Gabriel asked, walking shoulder to shoulder with Kevin and smiling across at him when the kid yawned.   
  
“Yeah, I guess, just a little...well…” Kevin sighed and gestured to the group of them as they walked, and Gabriel couldn’t help but chuckle.   
  
“Overwhelmed?” Gabriel asked and Kevin nodded, his eyes trailing over Salathiel as he walked behind her. “I get this is all pretty fucked up, but she was right in what she said…” Gabriel gestured to his sister with a smile. “We are very grateful for what you, Sam and Dean are doing for us...I don’t think we’d all be here right now if you all hadn’t intervened. So really, thanks.” Kevin smiled at Gabe but it was slightly forced, and the Archangel noticed for the first time just how heavy Kevin’s eyes had gotten since they had first shown up. He wondered briefly to himself how long it had been since this kid had gotten any proper sleep. “I’ll try and make this briefing fast okay, then we can all get some much deserved sleep. Oh! Just to say thanks again, how about I make us all breakfast in the morning...we could introduce those two to pancakes?” Gabriel pointed up ahead at his brother and sister as they disappeared through the door to the dungeon, waggling his eyebrows as Kevin smiled.   
  
“You can cook?” The Prophet asked, and Gabriel’s smile dropped into a frown but that expression never reached his eyes which remained light and full of good will.   
  
“Yes! I’m a damn good cook, I’ll have you know! I make the best bacon burgers you’ve ever tasted…” Gabriel gloated but the disbelieving look on Kevin’s face stopped him short.   
  
“Dean’s are better.” Kevin said and quickly walked away, leaving Gabriel stunned behind him.   
  
_ “He’s right, you know.” _ The smarmy voice of Sam Winchester said in his head and Gabriel smirked, thinking of all the things he was going to do to annoy Sam when the hunter finally took back control and was left alone in his head with only the Trickster for company.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Crowley was back in the torture chair, only this time he was not chained to it and the chair itself was backed up against one of the walls, reclined back on two legs and propped up against the stone surface. The demon was whistling lightly to himself and observing his two ‘cellmates’ whom he had already nicknamed ‘Bill’ and ‘Ben’ because of their oddly wooden gestures and their bad habit of talking in goobledegook! Each angel was blonde-haired and blue eyed but while one of them was short and pudgy - Bill - the other was very tall and skinny - Ben. They also had to be incredibly stupid because they seemed to be underestimating the demon’s ability to understand Enochian, but he was letting them jabber on unawares - the better to spy on them.   
  
“Bagile hast Gabriel ge aala a leuitahemonuji adagita teloah?”   
_ “Why has Gabriel not put the beast to death?” _   
  
“Gabriel noaln t barinu a alca lap t.”   
_ “Gabriel may still have a purpose for it.” _   
  
“Ol conisa ge gono t!”   
_ “I do not trust it!” _   
  
“Gono ge el” Crowley said, smirking widely when two faces snapped around to stare at him, shocked and fearful at the revelation that he could understand them completely and even speak their own tongue back at them. “A wise man once said that.” The small one, Bill, eyed the demon warily before answering.   
  
“What wise man is it you speak of, demon?” Bill asked, obviously trying to sound intimidating and failing miserably but Crowley wasn’t about to call him on it - fallen they might be but the ex-feathery dicks still had their blades.   
  
“Fox Mulder, and my name is Crowley...not Demon. Although I must admit I did enjoy being called ‘beast’, I should really have my subjects start using that one, makes me feel all tingly inside.” At that moment Gabriel entered the room again followed closely by Salathiel, Barrattiel and…”Kevin! How nice to see you again! How’s your fingers, still got all nine?” Crowley joked, but the sudden appearance of Salathiel’s blade silenced him.   
  
“You will mind your tongue, Demon, or you will lose it!” She barked but Gabriel put a hand on her arm and eased her back, urging her closer to Kevin. No matter how helpful Crowley had been these past few hours, Gabriel didn’t trust him and it was a worry shared by Sam, who was pacing up and down inside his own head nervously. Gabriel sent a small wave of grace in his direction, hoping to ease his fears, but Sam forced it away much to Gabriel’s chagrin. One step at a time, he reminded himself, and pushed forward with the group.   
  
“Emmanuel, Lamechial…” Gabriel addressed the two Angels who had guarded Crowley while he was away. “I wanted to bring everyone together to make my announcements.” The pair straightened up and placed their hands behind their backs, respectful and dignified for their leader. “As you can see, I have found it necessary to possess the body of Sam Winchester. This is due to the significant amount of damage he has done to himself during the trials he endured while trying to shut the gates of hell…”   
  
“Stupid git, deserves everything he got…” Crowley muttered, and Salathiel had to physically restrain Kevin to stop the kid from flying at the demon and doing himself an injury. Gabriel pressed on as though there had been no interruption.   
  
“I will only be capable of repairing his body from the inside out, and as my own vessel was damaged in the fall it makes sense to take another for the moment until my Grace has been properly healed. I discussed all of this with Sam and he agreed to house me until such time as we are both ready to make our own way. So, how will this work in terms of leadership? Part of my deal with Sam is that he will have full control over his body without any interference from me, but after some talking he has agreed that you all need me present to lead you during these times so we came to the arrangement that during the day while Sam is awake he will have total control over his actions BUT should you need to speak with me you need only ask him and he will allow my grace to come forward and speak through him. While he is in charge you will follow any order he gives you as though they were my orders, because for all intents and purposes they  _ are _ my orders. Understand?” Gabriel paused and smiled when everyone nodded along, even Barrattiel although he looked far more disgruntled by this news than the others. The Archangel made a mental note to keep a close eye on that one, he could be trouble. “Once Sam has gone to bed for the night though, I shall wait until he is asleep and then I will take over his body, which means that during the night I shall be able to work personally with you on anything which is needing my attention. I am sure the first thing we shall want to work on is finding a way back into Heaven, and when Dean Winchester and Castiel come home we will begin researching every avenue immediately...until that time though I suggest we all take a rest; eat, sleep, shower, whatever you need to get yourself right. We have a long road ahead of us and I do not doubt it will become harder before it gets easier. I just want to let you all know that I am going to find a way to get us home...come hell or high water...you understand me? I will get you home!” Gabriel promised, and smiled at his brothers and sisters. It was one promise he was going to keep, even if it meant giving up everything he had...he would get them home.


	12. On The Mend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel will be getting out of the hospital soon, but Dean is concerned by the Angel's pain and worries what will happen if Cas becomes too dependant on the painkillers. A different kind of Angel comes to Dean's aid. Can they convince Castiel to plow through this without medication?

Castiel woke to a suffocating blackness all around him, and for a moment it was hard to make out where he was, but as his eyes adjusted he found that he was still in the hospital...but it was not at all like the one he had been lying in when he went to sleep last night.   
  
The room was destroyed, all the furniture broken and scattered around as though a tornado had cut a path through the building while he slept, and the only thing which had kept its place were the beds lining the walls. Each bed was occupied, but the men and women lying in them were old, diseased and either dead or dying. Cas felt his heart clench with fear and his blood began to rush through his veins, aching as it flowed like poison coursing through his body. He didn’t want to leave his bed, he wanted nothing more than to burrow himself deep under the covers and hide from the world, but his body had other ideas. Without his consent, he sat up in bed and swung his legs over the edge, dropping his naked feet to the floor and wincing as his broken foot cracked under the weight of his body. Castiel screamed in his mind and tried to force his body backwards onto the bed again, but it ignored him, walking onwards regardless of the snapped and dragging lump of flesh that used to be his foot. Each step crushed it further, bone dragging against bone and skin tearing as the ragged edges tore through the skin, leaving him bloodsoaked footsteps on the filthy ground as he made his way into the aisle between the beds and started to wander down between them, head forced around to look at every single person who shared the ward with him.   
  
An old man, and old woman, a dead one here and a live one there, it’s breath coming in harsh, ragged pants as it struggled to live with whatever horrific illness was ravaging its body. Castiel tried to look away, but it wouldn’t let him, and from where he was standing he saw that even the plants - torn from their pots and left broken on the floor - where dead. This place, whatever it was, was infected, and it corrupted the very flesh of anyone who was unlucky enough to become trapped within its walls. These people would die here, in agony, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.   
  
By the time he had reached the final bed - an ancient old woman who looked like she had leprosy - Castiel was almost in tears. He wished he could pass by each and every one of these poor souls and lay his hands on them, allow them to pass from this life to the next and finally be free of their suffering but he couldn’t...He couldn’t even grant them the gift of sleep to release them for a short while. He was useless.   
  
“You got that right...completely useless…” A voice echoed through the room, and Cas’ body turned to face the doorway at the end of the ward, where Dean stood silhouetted in the door. “Aren’t you gonna  _ help _ them, Cas. Go on,  _ save _ them…” Dean taunted, smirking as Cas stared around the beds and started to cry again. “What’s the matter, can’t do it? Can’t even kill them, can you? Without your mojo your totally useless to anyone, so what are you even doing here? Why don’t you just give up now? I mean I was just being polite when I said you were coming home, I never expected you to latch on like a goddamn leech! I thought you’d have some decency and just crawl off somewhere to die...but no, you’re so pathetic that you can’t even let me go because you’re too afraid to face your own shit. You’re disgusting.”   
  
“Please stop…” Cas babbled to himself, trying to look away but finding himself rooted to the spot, and suddenly Dean was right in front of him, strong hands gripping his arms and shaking him violently.   
  
“Cas!” Dean snarled, hands tightening around him until his nails bit into the skin. “ _ Cas! _ ” Cas closed his eyes against the sight and shook his head, wondering why Dean’s voice sounded so far away when he could sense the man right in his face. “ _ Cas, wake up! _ ” Dean called and Castiel could see light shining through his eyelids, growing brighter as Dean’s voice started to even out, sounding more normal and almost scared. Castiel dared to open his eyes a crack and the bright sunlight streaming in the window beside him blinded him for a moment, but once he adjusted to it, he found the smiling but anxious face of Dean staring down at him.   
  
His friends hands had indeed been wrapped around his arms, but they were not digging in or hurting him, in fact it seemed as though Dean had been shaking him in an attempt to wake him up, and Cas wondered suddenly if his dream had got him writhing in his sleep the way he had seen Dean do on several occasions, whenever his nightmares had gotten particularly troublesome. An overwhelming sense of embarrassment hit him like a wave as he wondered to himself what Dean must think of him now - lying here in a hospital bed, unable to even fend off a nightmare let alone any real threat. Dream Dean had been right - he was pathetic.   
  
“You okay, buddy? You were groaning pretty bad there...nightmare?” Dean asked, his voice soothing and not in any way disgusted by the sight of him, and that alone allowed Castiel to relax a little.   
  
“No...yes...a little. It is of no importance now, it is done.” Castiel said, hoping that Dean would drop the subject before it got too personal. He really did not feel like reliving the dream again, nor did he wish to expose to Dean just how terrified he was by the thought that he was no longer of any use to the hunter.   
  
“Yeah, well, I do kinda know all about these kinds of things...not to toot my own horn but you are looking at the master of pushing down shit and never talking about it.” Dean said, smiling even as Castiel looked away from him to hide his forlorn face. “Listen, dude, if you really don’t wanna talk about it I get it but...I just want you to know that whatever it was...it wasn’t real. Anything you saw or heard in there was all bullshit.” Castiel bit his lip nervously and peered at Dean out of the corner of his eye.   
  
“How could you possibly know that, Dean...you don’t know anything about what I saw.” Castiel said, his voice hushed and Dean grunted.   
  
“I know you. Whatever it was, it was probably dark...cause you don’t seem to like the dark much...lonely…” Dean didn’t offer an explanation but Cas knew he understood. “And full of self-blaming cause that’s what you do, isn’t it? You blame yourself when something goes wrong because ‘you could have done more’...that’s how I know it was bullshit Cas.” Dean explained, before turning away to stare out the window and give Castiel a moment to wipe his eyes dry without judgement. If Castiel was being honest with himself the dream was already fading away into nothingness, the details slipping like sand through his grasp and disappearing from sight. The human mind really was a fascinating thing, when you got right down to it. He could still recall everything he had seen and heard over the past few millennia, but this one simple dream which had caused him so much pain at the time was now all but gone from his mind, wiped clean to avoid further distress. Castiel was thankful for that much, and also for being able to wake up in the daylight with Dean watching over him - even if the reversal of roles seemed a bit out of sorts. Normally it was he who watched over Dean.   
  
They made small talk for awhile, but pretty soon Cas’ speech became shorter, more snappish and when Dean had finally had enough he demanded that Cas tell him what the hell had got him so pissy all of a sudden.   
  
“It’s...my leg, Dean. It hurts again. The pain is making me short with you, I apologise.” Cas sighed, reaching down to place his hand just above his knee, and even the slight touch of his hand was agony on the sensitive skin. In all his time on Earth as an Angel he knew that pain caused Humans to become short with their tempers - and goodness knows he had witnessed first hand Dean’s own temper when he had been injured on a hunt - but he had never been able to fully understand the concept of pain and its effects on the human condition until now. Even Dean’s fussy concern over him right now was making him angry for reasons he couldn’t fully comprehend. All he could think of right now which provided him any comfort was the knowledge that fairly soon one of the nurses would come by with his medication, and the pain would finally go away. Drugs, he was discovering, really were marvelous things.   
  
“Hey, how about I go and check with one of the nurses? See if we can’t get you some relief eh?” Dean asked and Cas sighed happily, smiling at his friend.   
  
“That would be wonderful Dean, thank you. Those pills seem to be the only thing helping me through right now.” Cas said, a little confused when Dean physically flinched at his words and eyed him warily. It was only a brief expression, over within seconds and quickly covered by a nervous smile, but Cas couldn’t help but wonder what had gone through his friends head.   
  
“Yeah well when this is all over remember...Just Say No.” Dean joked, walking away quickly before Castiel had a chance to ask him what he meant. The phrase sounded familiar, no doubt somewhere in his new stores of references he had heard it before, but right now he could not concentrate long enough to make any connection. He just wanted his damn pills!   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Dean slumped against the wall outside of the ward and tried to control his breathing, shutting his eyes in a desperate attempt to block the the image of Cas lying in that bed asking for pills. If this was how things continued it wouldn’t be too outside the realm of possibility for Cas to turn out just like that shell of a man Dean had seen in the future. It was already falling right into place; the broken leg, the recovery time...now the pills. He scrubbed his hand over his face as he tried to think of a way out of this situation - he couldn’t very well tell Cas the truth, that would only serve to make the man roll his eyes and promise Dean he would be fine, and Dean knew better than anyone that promises could be broken. Switching out his pills for something else wouldn’t help either since Cas was in so much pain he was bound to notice if the pills suddenly stopped working, and if he went to the nurse about it they might check up on his dosage.   
  
“Sir...can I help you with something?” A kindly looking older woman in her nurse’s uniform asked and Dean didn’t feel like he had the strength to explain to her what was going on in his head so he smiled and shook his head.   
  
“No thanks, Ma'am, I was...eh...I was just visiting a fri...my husband and he was asking about pain meds.” Dean said, struggling to keep the smile on his face as the old woman eyed him skeptically. She had been pushing a trolley with what looked like breakfast plates on it, but despite that Dean got the distinct feeling that she was in charge around here, so he felt it best not to push his luck with her. After another moment she nodded then parked the trolley at the side of the bed before motioning for him to follow her.   
  
“Come with me a moment, Sonny.” She said, turning and heading back in the direction of the nurses station, and Dean made a quick motion towards the room but she shook her head and walked on. “Don’t worry about them, I’m running a bit early today so they can wait. I want to have a quick word with you…” She walked around the back of the nurses desk and pushed open an office door, standing aside to usher him in first. “In private.”   
  
When Dean entered the room he found it was less of an office and more of a break room stuffed into an office sized cube. There was a tiny table pushed against the back wall, complete with several used mugs and a set of playing cards - no doubt their go-to pass time when all the patients were in bed - and a small TV set in the corner. She gestured Dean into one of the chairs and she took the one across from him, still staring at him with those soul searching eyes and making Dean feel like he was being x-rayed. It was really creeping him out.   
  
“So...nice place you got here…” Dean ventured but she just smiled and nodded. “Em, can I help you with something?”   
  
“Well you can start by telling me what it is that’s bothering you.” She asked but when Dean shrugged and avoided her gaze she tutted and reclined back in her chair. “Son, I’ve worked here all my life and let me tell you how requests for extra meds usually go...See a patient will complain to their family, that family will come to me, and then they’ll make all sorts of demands. Now, it isn’t wrong for them to act this way...they are watching someone they love suffering and they want to make them well again...but the stress makes them testy. So, when you told me that your husband was asking about more meds I expected you to be firm and adamant about it, but instead you looked almost worried...now why is that?” Dean stared at her in shock, half fearful of how observant she was and half awed by her talent, but when she placed her hand on his arm he snapped out of it and sighed, finally deciding to come clean about his fears.   
  
“Well, see it’s like this…” Dean started, quickly working out how he was going to explain all of this without telling her too much. “There was this one point in time when he was addicted to pills” Technically speaking that wasn’t a lie, there was a point  _ in time _ ... “and...well he isn’t now, but he could be and...I just don’t want it to get to that point again...does that make sense?” Dean asked timidly and thankfully the nurse didn’t look angry or even confused, in fact a strange kind of understanding came over her features and she sighed softly.   
  
“Why didn’t you tell someone sooner?” She asked and he shrugged.   
  
“I couldn’t. I can’t have him thinking I don’t trust him and if he knows I am telling you this he’ll...what if he hates me for it? He is really hurting and I don’t want him to hurt but I don’t wanna see him falling down that rabbit hole again. He wasn’t the same guy anymore he wasn’t Cas. He wasn’t an angel anymore.” Dean babbled, more to himself now than to her but she continued to nod, and Dean thought that maybe she did actually understand what he was going through. “I just don’t know what to do…” There was silence for awhile and when she finally broke it he jumped, her voice an unexpected interruption to his inner monologue.   
  
“You know...if we feel like a patient is at risk from addiction to a certain type of medication we can recommend that they be taken off it. There doesn’t have to be any history of addiction or even a complaint by a family member...it’s up to us to make the call and determine whether or not painkillers are required. I could easily give him this last dose and then remove him from them all together. If that is something you would like?” She asked him and Dean’s eyes snapped up to meet hers, hoping for the first time since this whole storm had hit.   
  
“You can do that? I wouldn’t have to sign anything?” He asked, worried that this would someone lead back to him but the nurse smiled warmly at him.   
  
“No, he wouldn’t have to know. I can get the paperwork through now and after today he will be medication free. The last thing we want to do is to have him relapse now and if the concern is real...and I know it is for you, I can see it...then it’s a simple matter of signing him off and there will be no more fuss about it.” Dean sat pondering this for a moment and he slumped forward onto the desk, resting his forehead on his arms. He heard her get up and walk around the table towards him, and a gentle hand patted him on the back comfortingly. “You are doing the right thing by him, most of the loved ones I come into contact with choose to ignore the problem rather than risk ‘betraying’ their family...but it isn’t a betraying to look out for them. You’re a good husband.” Dean looked up at her with a grateful smile.   
  
“Thank you, Ma’am I really…”   
  
“Cherri” The woman correct and Dean grinned.   
  
“Cherri...this means the world to me.” Dean said and Cherri smiled secretively.   
  
“Yes...I can see that he does.”   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Nurse Cherri had ordered Dean to go and get some coffee while she dished out Cas’ last dose of medicine, with the promise that he did not want to be around when she broke the news.   
  
“It will only upset you more” She had said and he had finally agreed to make himself scarce, but as he walked back along the corridor with two mugs of coffee in his hand the sounds of Cas shouting could be heard echoing down the hall.   
  
“WHO ON EARTH TOLD YOU THAT?! I AM NOT A DRUG ADDICT! HOW DARE YOU!” Dean sighed and braced himself before he entered the ward, but smiled to himself when he saw that Cherri was baring the brunt of Castiel’s rage with a polite but stern expression.   
  
“Sir I assure you, no one told us you were a drug addict, but we have reason to believe that you are at risk of becoming dependant…”   
  
“BULLSHIT!”   
  
“These drugs we have been giving you are highly addictive and even if I did not have my concerns we would be taking you off of them as soon as was possible.”   
  
“I’M IN PAIN!”   
  
“I understand, Sir, and I assure you there are many other ways to relieve your pain without the use of these pills. When you have calmed yourself I will come back and show you some exercises you can do which will help take the edge off.   
  
“I DON’T NEED YOUR EXERCISES! JUST GET OUT!” Castiel screamed, glaring at her all the way out of the ward until his eyes finally caught Dean’s, and a sudden shame seemed to fill them. The ex Angel hung his head and kept his eyes on his busted foot as Dean approached the bed slowly, coffee held out like a peace offering.   
  
“I brought you some joe, you look like you need it...So...They’re cutting off your supply huh?” Dean tried to joke, but Castiel’s eyes flicked up to meet his own and Dean flinched, smiling apologetically. A wave of guilt washed over him as he watched Castiel, the man looking completely crestfallen, and Dean couldn’t help but fear that there was more going on than he knew about under his friend’s skin. “Cas...buddy it ain’t that bad. The nurse must have a good reason, and I’d hate to ignore her then find out she was right. You really wanna have to check into a rehab because you didn’t listen to the doctor’s advice?” Dean tried, wanting to sooth his friends fear but Cas did not seem to be listening to him.   
  
“...I don’t like being in pain Dean. If the pills help me avoid that then I don’t see why I should stop. Even if they are addictive, what is the harm in that? So long as I continue to take them I don’t see what the problem is…” Castiel rambled, carefully avoiding Dean’s eyes and not quite convincing his friend that this was only about the pain. Dean’s fist tightened on the paper cup, and even as the hot coffee spilled out of the crushed paper the hunter didn’t take his eyes from his friend. Even as he looked on he could almost see the hazy vision of the future Cas slipping into focus over the top of his Cas and it didn’t just frighten him...it infuriated him.   
  
“Nurse…” Dean called over his shoulder, thankful that she hadn’t gone further than the end of the ward, and he turned to walk towards her meeting her halfway down the aisle but far enough from Cas’ bed so the ex-angel wouldn’t overhear him.   
  
“Yes, Mr. Winchester, how can I help you?” She asked, eyes darting warily over to Cas who was watching them suspiciously from his bed.   
  
“Do you think we could get a wheelchair for my...husband.” He asked, forcing his voice to remain calm so as not to worry her. She gave him a confused look but nodded and walked with him over to a walk in closet at the end of the ward where around three or four wheelchairs were stored. She pulled one free and wheeled it to him, as he tried to find the words for his next request.   
  
“So...you wanna tell me where you’re planning to go with my patient? I take it the talk about his pills didn’t go well?” She asked, chuckling when Dean gave her a startled look. “Don’t give me that look, this ain’t my first rodeo cowboy.” Dean shrugged his acceptance and sighed, staring at his feet.   
  
“He doesn’t seem to get what would be so bad about being addicted...if it meant avoiding pain, I mean. I know, I know, that sounds awful but well…” Dean scrambled for the words. “He isn’t used to this kind of thing, he was eh, well, very sheltered as a kid and well...I need to get it through his head the kind of thing he is heading for if he doesn’t listen.” The nurse didn’t look appalled or even angry, on the contrary she looked sympathetic, but in a way which suggested that she had heard all of this before, and Dean suddenly felt all the more grateful for her - if it had been any other Nurse, any other person, he might not have gotten this far in his plan.   
  
“Floor Seven...Get in the elevator and when you get out of it on the right floor, turn left and walk down the corridor right to the end. You’ll come to a set of double doors, they’ll be locked but there will be a guard in the room off to the right. His name’s Bob and he’s getting on in years so you’ll have to speak up so he’ll hear you but tell him I sent you and your friend there needs a dose of RL, he’ll understand.” She patted him bracingly on the arm with a sweet smile. “It’s a good thing you’re doing...even when he is raging at you later, you keep that in mind...you’re doing a  _ good _ thing.” And with that she swept away, leaving him behind her in a stunned silence.   
  
  
\----------   
  
  
Cas had been ecstatic at the news that he would be able to get out of bed and go for a short trip through the hospital, and Dean had been too chickenshit to tell his beaming friend where they were  _ really _ going; it was just too nice to see the man smiling again. With the help of two nurses - don’t judge, Cas was pretty heavy for a little dude - Dean got Cas seated in the wheelchair and ready for the off. It took less than fifteen minutes to get from their ward to the new ward and through the doors but when they did Dean felt overcome with shame...Cas’ face fell and he started to shake; almost imperceivable but Dean noticed. Dean always noticed.   
  
“Dean...why are we here?” Cas asked, his voice a bare whisper in the bustling hallway and almost unheard over the shouting coming from a room just down the hallway. Someone was screaming, a mixture of profanity and begging which brought the hair up on Dean’s neck - he couldn’t even imagine what it was doing to Castiel, and every instinct told him to turn the wheelchair around and get his friend out of here but he couldn’t. That image of future Cas kept bubbling to the surface, and despite the pain he knew Cas was in right now he couldn’t bare the thought that taking no action right now might lead them all to that inevitable conclusion. He couldn’t let it happen, he wouldn’t. They had been through too much already, suffered too much already to just give up now.   
  
“...Because we need to be here, there is something you need to see…” Dean answered as gently as he could, not anticipating the reaction he would get from his friend as he pushed him down the corridor and steered him into the wards dayroom.   
  
People sat all around in comfortable chairs by the window, or in front of the television, others at the table, each set to their own task of watching their shows or doing puzzles but the longer they stared at the people the more horrible the reality of the situation became. Each person had the same look on their face, a deadness in their eyes which showed barely any recognition of the world around them, even those who sat doing puzzles were not really aware of what they were doing, merely going through the motions; a horrible parody of life. Some still had a little colour in their cheeks, signs that life might yet return, but others were pale as milk and boneless, their movements jerky as if their limbs had been bound with string and only moved by the will of some unseen puppet master who was pulling at their bonds, making them dance. In one corner a man was curled over in a wheelchair, arms wrapped around his body, and as they passed him by Dean noticed that his slacks were wet, and Dean thought for one horrible moment that the man had wet him until he looked up at his face and say the truth...drool was flowing in a steady stream from his gaping mouth and pooling in his lap, and although his arms twitched he didn’t have the strength or the will to lift them to wipe away the dampness. Dean pushed Cas on quickly, wanting away from the sight of that man as quickly as possible, but Cas tracked him until he was out of sight, a horrified fear in his eyes.   
  
As they neared the back wall Dean spotted what he had been looking for - a small desk with an elderly woman behind it, and when he approached she looked up at the pair of them and smiled.   
  
“Hey boys, Cherri send you up?” She asked, getting up and walking around the desk with her hand outstretched to shake theirs. Dean nodded in answer and took her hand, putting on his best fake smile and feeling sure that she saw right through it - the grip on his hand tightened slightly, reassuringly. “I’m Judith, she called me and said you’d be on your way up...I must say it was a strange request but I am glad to help out.” She peered down at Castiel knowingly, her smile kind as she regarded him. “I’m sure you’ll get all the help you need here.”   
  
The reaction to this simple sentence had a drastic reaction; whatever fear had been building in Castiel from the moment the entered the ward seemed to boil over, and in a flash Castiel had whipped himself around in the chair, his hands tearing at the little belt around his waist which kept him secure. Dean had almost no time to react and, almost in slow motion, he watched Castiel hurtle forwards, tipping the chair in his haste as he scrambled out of the seat. He toppled to the ground, his plastered leg useless as it buckled beneath him, and Dean yelled out as Cas hit the floor with a sickening crunch. Dean throw himself to the ground beside Cas but the Angel’s hands pushed at him, and it was then that Dean noticed the tears in Cas’ eyes and the violent trembling in his limbs. He was mumbling something, his words lost in the panic and the tears, and all around them the patients who still had some life in them were yelling out unintelligible things while the nurses scrambled to help Dean pulled Castiel back up. He finally managed to pull the struggling man into his arms and instinctively he pushed Cas’ face into the crook of his neck, stroking the back of his head with a shaking hand and hushing him gently.   
  
“Please…” Cas croaked in Dean’s ear, his desperate tone breaking Dean’s heart. “Please don’t leave me here...I’ll do whatever you want, I won’t take anymore pills but please...I don’t belong here! I don’t belong, Dean, I can’t belong here!” Cas babbled, and Dean felt his heart break as he realised how this must have all looked to Castiel. The man thought that Dean intended to leave him here, in this place, with these people, rather that the brief tour it was meant to be, and Dean cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have explained this all to Castiel before he brought him up, explained that he only wanted him to see what drugs could do to someone, but he had been too caught up in calming himself to even think about what might have been rushing through his friends head. He explained it all now, in quiet tones, while catching the nurse’s eye and begging her silently to leave them be for a while, to give him time, and he was grateful for her smile and her exit. She left to calm the others while Dean whispered softly to Castiel that he wasn’t going to leave him, not now and not ever, and begged him to look around and to understand what addiction can do to people. Once or twice Cas lifted his head to peer around but he quickly ducked it back down, hiding himself against Dean’s skin and Dean allowed it, not caring for the moment how it might look. This was his friend, his family as much as Sam was family, and if this is what he needed them Dean would happily give it to him.   
  
Eventually, when Cas’ sobbing had quietened down, Dean signalled for the nurse to help him get Cas back into his chair and with a grateful nod he wheeled Cas back out of the room and down the hall towards the lifts. They had been silent for the longest time now, and Dean was starting to fear that perhaps he had taken his lesson too far, but as the lift doors closed on the ward he heard one final, dry sob, and a whisper from his friend.   
  
“I don’t ever want to be like that…” Cas said, and Dean sighed heavily, abandoning all thought as he bent over and placed a soft kiss to the top of Cas’ head, a steadying hand on Cas’ shoulder.   
  
“I won’t let that happen, Cas. I swear.”


End file.
